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Photographed by \\1M NEEDHAM, New Castle, Indiana. 






:Fj^ST ^ISriD I^DE^ESEZSTT: 



▲ BRIEF 



mST'OIR^Z' OF THE COTJlTTTr 



FROM 



1821 TO 1871. 



BY 



EL'VT'OOID :E^XjEj^S. 






NEW CASTLE, IND.: 
PUBLISHED BY PLEAS BROTHERS. 

1871. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year ISTL/'by 

EL WOOD FLEAS, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington- 






PREFACE. 



The following pages are the result of a desire to col- 
lect and preserve facts connected with the early history 
'and growth of our county, which are constantly becom- 
ing more difficult to obtain, as the pioneers of the 
county are rapidly passing away. It is not supposed, 
however, that what has been done in these pages is all 
that can be done in this direction, as I have met with 
several persons since portions of the work were closed 
up, who wer6 in possession of a fund of facts of which 
I would gladly have availed myself at an earlier day. 

This pioneer essay, it is hoped, will not close the ef- 
fort in this direction, but may stimulate some one to 
begin the collection of material at once, and at no dis- 
tant day present something more thorough and worthy 
of our county and the memory of those who have gone 
before, and through whose patient endurance and hard- 
ships we now enjoy so many of the biesaings of life. 

It is proper, also, to state that the work of collecting 
material was begun late in November last, with a view to 
issuing only a small pamphlet of some forty or fifty pages 
at most. It was soon determined to enlarge the scope 
of the work a little, and it was advertised to contaia 



iv PRMFACB. 

one hundred pages, and the price fixed accordingly. As 
fast as the material for the first chapter was collected, 
the "copy" was placed in the hands of the compositor, 
there seldom being so much as five pages ahead, and 
when one hundred pages were completed, many top- 
ics too important to be omitted had not been touched, 
and now, with nearly one hundred and fifty pages, fi 
large portion of the notes collected, especially those re- 
lating to the hardships and incidents of early times, with 
brief personal sketches of some of the early men of 
note, have to be omitted in toto. For nearly three 
months, one hundred and twenty pages have been in the 
binder's hands, while an unexpected pressure of other 
work has prevented any attempt to complete the remain- 
ing pages till within a few days. 

I take especial pleasure in acknowledging my obliga- 
tions to Messrs. Bennett and Evans, of the Auditor's 
oflEice; Messrs. Hazzard and Rogers, of the Treasurer's 
office; Mr. Kinsey and the late Mr. Hiatt, Clerks, and 
Mr. Bond, Recorder, for furnishing every possible facili- 
ty for examining the county records. 

For items of information and other aid, I also take 
pleasure in expressing my obligations to Judges Elliott 
and BuNDY, C. C. and M. L. Powell, Asahel Woodard, 
and W. W. Shelley, of New Castle ; Dr. Ross, J. Luellen, 
and Dr. Kerr, Stony Creek township; D. Rees and S. 
Julian, Cadiz; J. Wood and E. Spencer, Greensboro; 
M. F. Edwards, Dr. Whitesel, J. A. DeeM, and others, 
Knightstown; to B. S. Parker and Benj. Stewart, Lew- 
isville; S. W. Stewart and D. Reynolds, Dublin; J. R. 
Leaky, C. Ratliff, and D. Paul, Dudley; Williams 
Nicholson, Liberty, and scores of others, who have kindly 
aided me in various ways. E. P. 

New Castle^ Ind., August, 1871. 




<t'07JMT HOUSM, N'ew Cmlle. lu.'i. 



INTRODUCTION 



In the year 1800, "Indiana Territory" was carved out of 
what was previously known as the "Northwest Territory," and 
included nearly all of the present States of Indiana and Michi- 
gan, and all of Tllnois and AVisconsin, and a portion of Minne- 
sota. 

The population of ail this vast region, according to the 
census of 1800, was but 4,875. Micliigan was erected into a 
separate territory in 1835, and Illinois in 1809. Previous to 
the separation of Illinois, the territory had been divided into 
live counties, of whicli Knox, Dearborn, and Clark were 
witliin the present bounds of Indiana, and St. Clair and 
Randolph constituted Illinois. 

In 1807, an enumeration of the " free white males over 
twenty-one j'ears of age" was had, by which it appears that 
there were 2,524 within the present limits of the State, which 
would indicate that the whole population was less than 12,000. 
Of this number there were 610 white adult males in what was 
then Dearborn county, which comprised i^erhaps about one- 
third of the present limits of the State. 

From 1800 to 1813, the seat of government for the territory 
was at Yincennes. At the latter date, it was removed to Cory- 
don. 

By a joint resolution of Congress of December 11, ISIG, 
Indiana was formally admitted to the sisterhood of States. So 



2 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PKESEN i". 

rapid had been the influx of population for the ten years pre- 
ceding that the State was estimated to contain 65,000, and by 
this time was divided into eighteen counties, although more- 
tlian three-fourths of the State was still in possession of the 
Indians. Prior to 1810, the Indian boundary ran east of Cen- 
treville, Waj^ne count}', and when an additional "Twelve-mile 
Purchase " extended the limits of civilization so as to include 
the present sites of Milton, Cambridge City, and almost to Ha- 
garstown, there was quite a flocking to the new country, even in 
advance of the surveyor. So early as 1811, Thomas Symons had 
settled at the mouth of a small creek that emptied into West 
River, between Cambridge and Milton, and his brother Nathan 
fixed his residence at the mouth of another creek that unites 
with West River above the site of the ancient village of Vandalia. 
Their early possession of the mouths of these creeks (both Iiav- 
ing their source in Libert}^ township,) served to attach their 
names to the streams, and Symons' Creeks were well known to 
the early settler of this county. Indeed it is highly probable 
tliat of the whole number of persons who entered this county, 
for the lirst five 3'^ears, at least nine-tenths crossed the county 
line between these streams. 

The war with Great Britain, from 1812 to 1815, and the con- 
sequent alarm occasioned by the hostile attitude of the Indiana 
all along the frontier, partially broke up the settlements along 
West River. With the return of peace, however, the settlers 
returned to their homes, and a rapid increase of emigration at 
once set in, extending to the very limits of the Twelve-mile 
Purchase, though it is probable that no white tamily intruded 
itself upon the almost impenetrable wilds within the present 
limits of Henry county prior to 1819. 



FIRST SETTLERS. 



" For many seasons harsh and lone 

They wrestled with their lot 

Winning the paradise of home, 

From many a rugged spot." 

The first settlers of which any reliable information has 
been obtained, seem to have come to the county in 1819. Prior 
to this time, many were " waiting and watching over the bor- 
der," in Wayne county, for the lands between West River and 
White River to become subject to settlement. 

A law of Congress (not very rigidly enforced, however,) 
forbade the private purchase or occupancy of the " Indian 
hinds." By a treaty negotiated at St. ^lar^^'s, in 1818, by Gov- 
ernor Jennings, Governor Cass, and Judge Parke, Commission- 
ers on the part of the United States,* the Indians relinquished 
all title to tlie lands south of the Wabash, except two or three 
small reservations, and also agreed to vacate the ceded lands 
within three years. 

From t/iis time the whole central portion of the State was 
looked upon as accessible to the whites, and the settlement of 
this county began at once, although no titles to land could be 
obtained for some time. 

The earliest titles are under act of Congress of April 
24th, 1820, and the work of surveying, &c., consumed another 

*The late David Hoover, of Wayne county, Avas Secretary to this Com- 
mission. 



4 HENRY COrXTY; PAST AND PRKSPLVT. 

year before they were thrown upon the iniirket. About one 
hundred and forty persons purchased land in townshi})s sixteen 
and seventeen north, in the last half of the year 1821. This 
was in that part ot t]i,5 county embraced in the present town- 
ships of Wayne, Spiceland, Franklin, Dudley, Liberty, Henry, 
Greensboro, and a part of Harrison. 

The surveys being incomplete, no lands north of Liberty 
and Henry townships were sold until the following year. Many 
had come in prospecting as early as 1818 and 1819. By tills 
means the fame of this magnificent region spread a))road. Its 
great fertility, magnificent forests, line streams, numerous 
Si)rings, abundant game, and its perpetual dedication to the 
cause of human liberty, pointed it out to many in Xorth Caro- 
lina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Oliio, as the Eldo- 
rado of the West. 

The early settlers seem to have been attracted principally 
to tliree neighborhoods, for a time, and from these nuclei 
spread over the county. Tliese neighborhoods, after a few 
years, became known as the "Harvey neighborhood," extending 
from tlie site of Nev.' Castle northward some four or five miles ; 
the " Leavell neighborhood," Vw hich included the southeast part 
of Liberty and the eastern portion of Dudley townships ; Vvdiile 
the region from old West Liberty, on either side of Blue Eiver, 
for two or three miles above the site of Knightstown, was known 
as the "Heaton neighborhood." 

The^e neighborhoods constituted pretty much all there was 
of Henry county at the time of its organization, in 1821-22. 

It is impossible, at this daj', to name all the first "settlers," 
but the following facts, though far from being as full as desired, 
will serve to show SDUKithing of the time and order of settlement 
in the various toAvnships. 

HENRY TOWNSIIir. 

Eurly in April, 1819, Asahel Woodard, Andrevv" Sliannon, 
Allen Shepherd, a ]Mr. Wliittlnger, and son-in-law, David Cray, 
George Hobson, and Wm. Shannon, settled in Henry townsliip. 

Mr. Woodard put up his cabin just north of Kev/ Castle, 
within a few rods of his present residence. 



FiirsT RirrTLERs. 5 

The Whittingers and Uv. Cray fixed their residence just 
about the she of Joshua Ilonand's house. 

Allen Shepherd settled nearly two miles, north by east of 
Xe-«v Castle, on what is no'.v known as the Iludleson farm, and 
his elegant residence, erected about fifty-two years ago, is still 
standing. 

Andrew Shannon located just north of Shepherd, and nt^ar 
the present site oi' the Hcrnlc}' Mills. 

George Hobson on the farm now owned by Judge Elliott, 
one-half mile southwest of New Castle. 

William Shannon on the HoUovv-ay Farm, fi:»ur miles soutli- 
wGSt of New Castle. 

Joseph Ilobson came in not far from the same time, and 
settled on the west side of the Stephen Elliott Farm, two miles 
southwest of town. At his liouse tlie first courts w*ere held, thus 
making it the county seat j>ro tern. 

George Ilobson, Andrew Shannon, Mr. Whittinger, and D. 
Cray brouglit their fnmilies with them, and made their cages 
afterward. Mrs. Asahel Woodard and Mrs. William Shannon 
arrived on the 31st of July following, and Mr. Woodard planted 
about two acres of corn, the first crop, he thinks, ever raised by 
a white man in this county. He planted an old Indian field or 
clearing, and, although cultivated with the hoe alone, he thinks 
he never saw such corn before or since. 

The Whittingers and Craj^ soon left, not liking the county. 
PRAiKii: TOWNsnir. 

Benjamin Harvey also c:une early in the spring of 
1819, with his famil)', and settled about three miles north of 
AsahelWoodard, nearwliere he still resides with his son, Daniel 
Harvey. 

V^ery soon aftervrard came William Harvey, the father of 
Benjamin, v*ith Uriah Bulla, Jolni Harris, Samuel Howard, and 
Bartley or Barclay Benbow. Some of the last named came out 
in April or May, 1819, but had been out as earlj' as the February 
preceding, selected sites, and made some improvements. 

WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 

Within the limits of this tovrnsliip, a levv^ persons had set- 



6 HENRY COUNTY; !'AST AM) IMJKSKNT. 

tied as early as 1820, and prohably so early a.s 181}>. 

Daniel and Asa Ilea ton were located about the present site 
of Eaysville, and trading with the Indians as early as 1820. 

Samuel Furgason had a double log cabin near the mouth of 
Montgomery Creek, in 1821, and had made money enougli haul- 
ing corn from Whitewater and entertaining those in searcli of 
lands, to be able to purchase his homestead, August 11, 1821. 

Sanuiel Goble lived just about the site of Church's Mill at 
the time of the land sale, and had a good cabin and some eight 
or ten acres partially cleared and under good fence. All these 
improvements wei'e bid from under him by David I.auderback, 
who so well understood the estimate in which he would ho held 
by the early settlers that he "made himself scarce" afterward. 

Of those who came in before or just al)Out the time of the land 
sale may be mentioned Waitsel M. Carey, Aliraham TIeaton, 
Samuel Carey, Jacob Parkhurst, Joseph Watts, Shaphet McCray, 
and a few others, the exact date of wliose arrival it is difficult to 
learn. 

SPICELAND TOWNSHIP. 

Among the first settlers within the present limits of Spice- 
land township were Daniel Jackson and Solomon Byrkett, on 
Blue River, near what is known as Elm Grove; Thomas Green- 
street, on the Hiatt Farm, one -half mile southwest of Spiceland ; 
and Samuel Carr, on the Henderson Hosier Farm, two miles 
north of Spiceland, now owned by the Hoover boys; Allen 
Hunt, on the Amor Bond place, two miles west of Spiceland. 
These came to their lands immediately after the sale, and 
very soon after came Samuel Griffin and a few others. 

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 

Moses Keens, Gsoi-ge and Charles Scy, and Achilles 3Iorris 
were among the earliest settlers on Flatrock, within the present 
limits of Franklin. This was about the time of, or immediately 
after, the land sale, perhaps in the fall of 1821, though the pre- 
cise date cannot be ascertained. 

DUDLEY TOWNSHIP. 

John Huff and a Mr. Carter are the only parties ascertained 
to have resided within the limits of Dudley, prior to the land sale. 



FIRST SKITLKRS. 7 

Hurt* lived about the site ol' the toll gate at the junction of the 
New Castle & Dublin, and Hopewell & Flatroek Turnpikes, and 
Mr. Carter about one-half or three- fourtlis of a mile we^t from 
the «jite of the Hopewell Meeting House. 

^.^--^osiah Morris, Daniel Paul, Eliehard Ratliff (lather of Cor- 
nelius Ratlift'), Richard Thompson, William McKimm}, William 
Maudlin, ^V' illiam Owen, Josej)h R. I^eaky, Benjamin Strattan, 
Thomas Lennard, Thomas Gilbert, Elisha Shortridge, and Jon- 
athan Bundy were among the pioneers of Dudley township, who 
came in the winter of 1821 or spring of 1822. Of these A'eteran? 
J. R. Leaky, Daniel Paul, Josiah Morris, and Jonathan Bundy 
still live on the spot where they at first located, and have each 
a fund of the early incidents and trials peculiar to those early 
days. 

LIBERTY TOW^'SHIP. 

Of those who first settled Liberty township comparatively 
little has been learned. We are not informed whether any cam© 
in before the land sale, but of those who came in about the 
time of the sale may be mentioned Elisha T^ong, Moses Robert- 
son, T. R. Stanford, David Brower, John Leavell, Robert 
Thompson, Jesse Fortner, John Baker, and a number of others. 
Since the purchases made at the land sale exceeded those of any 
other township, it is fair to suppose that quite a number had al- 
ready located there. 

GREENSBORO TOWNSHIP 

Was first settled by Jacob Woods, Samuel Pickering, and per- 
haps two or three others, in the summer of 1821. Samuel and 
Jonas Pickering, Walker Carpenter, and Benjamin Kirk came 
through, prospecting in 1820, after visiting Winchester, Ander- 
son, Pendleton, and other points. 

Jacob Elliott built a cabin about where his son, Jacob S. 
Elliott, now lives, in the fall of 1821, but did not move into it 
till the spring of 1822. 

At the time Jacob Woods located where he now lives, one 
and one-fourth miles east of Greensboro, there were no settlers 
on Blue River between Daniel Jackson's and Joseph Hobson's, 
except William Shannon, and for some time there were no 



8 IIKN'WY ( orXl V; i'AST ANT) PUESEXT. 

neighbors on the east iioiu'v'r than William Bond's, who resided 
on the old Wickersham Farm, about four miles south of New 
Castle. Qiiit.^ a number settled about Greensboro in the follow- 
in<^ year, and so early as 1323 a mesting was held at Duek 
Creek, David Baily, Joseph Ratlitt", Eli Stallbrd, S. Pickering, 
and Jacob Wood being among the "charter members/' 

HARRISOX lOWNSIIIP. 

Dempsey Rees and Roderick Craig settled on Duck Creek in 
the eastern edge of Harri-on townsliip, in April, 1822. This 
was on land now owned by Peter Shafer. Rees had raised a 
crop of corn on White River, about thc^ site of Indianapolis, the 
year before. 

Phineas RatlifF, Rice Price, and Joseph and Richard R-itliffall 
settled in the same year within aljont one and one-half miles of 
D. Rees. 

STO>Y CREEK TOWNSHIP. 

Within th(* i)resent limits of Stony Creek townsIilp, tliere 
were no sc'ttlers prior to the land sale wiiich took place in 1822, 
and perhaps not till 1823, when John Ilodgins (now very old 
and much enfeelilod), Mr. Scholleld, Jonathan Bedvrell, and 
Andrew Blount, the proprietor of Blountsville, settled there. 
There were but tliree or four families on Stony Creek, in the 
spring of 1826, at which time John Hawk, a cabinet maker of 
Blountsville, took up quarters there. 

FALL CREEK TOWXSHIP. 

Tiie settlemeiit of Fall Creek seems not to have begun so 
earl}' as many other p:trts of the county. John, Jacob, George, 
Peter, and David Keesling located near Mechanicsburg, about 
1821 or 1825, forming what was known as the "Keesling Neigh- 
borhood." William Stewart and Joseph Franklin came in not 
far from the same time. John Ilai-t, a Mr. Vanmatre, Adam E. 
Conn, and a Mr. Painter were early settlers in the east part of 
the townsliip and nearer Middletown. 

.JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP. 

Within the present limits of Jefferson, at an early day, per- 
haps 1824 or 1825, came Samuel Beaver?, Anthony Sanders, 
James Marsh, and a ^'" '•'^•■'ilng, with some others. This town- 



LAND SALE AND FIRST ENTRIES. 9 

ship constituted a part of Fall Creek and Prairie for uian\ 
years. 

BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP. 

There was considerable progress made in the settlement of 
Blue River township (then a part of Stony Creek), in 1823. 
Michael Conway, Richard and Reuben Wilson, Joseph Corey, 
John Koons, John P. Jolinson, and several others moved to this 
part of the county as early as 1823, a few, perhaps, having lo- 
cated the year previous, the precise time, however, being diffi- 
cult to learn. 



LAND SALE AND FIRST ENTRIES. 



According to the record, Wm. Owen, of Dudley township, 
purchased the first tract of land in Henry coui^ty ; this transac- 
tion bearing date of February 4,1821.* The next was David 
Butler, August 8, 1821, in the same township, and on the 1 1th 
of August, Josiah Morris, of Dudley, and Samuel Furgason of 
Wayne township, each entered a tract. 

Judging from the number of purchases made, the settlers 
in Wayne township must have gone in a body to attend the 
sale, as of the twenty-five purchases made during the year, six- 
teen were made on the 13th of August. The following is a list 
of purchases during the year, with date of purchase: 
Samuel Furgason, Aug. 11, Thomas Estell, Aug. 1.3, 

Waitsel M. Carey, Aug. 13, Henry Ballenger, " '' 

Abraham Heaton, " " Isaac Pugh, " " 

Daniel Heaton, " " Shaphet McCray, " " 

Samuel Carey, " " Stephen Cook, Aug. SO, 

David Lauderback, " " Samuel Goble, Aug. 20, 

Edward Patterson, " " John Daily. Aug. 22, 

Wm. Macy, " " Jacob Whitter, Aug. 23, 

Jacob Parkhurst, " " John Freeland, Sept. 18, 

*It is highly probable that this is a mistake, and should have been 
February 4, 1822, since it is not likely that an entry could have been 
made six months in advance of the land sale, and Mr. Owen did not 
arrive in the county till some time in 1822. 

2 



10 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

David Dalyrimple, Aug. 14, Charles Smith, Oct, 13, 

Win. Criswell, " " Kdmond Lewis, 0<-t. 31, 

Eiienezcr <ioble, " '* John Lewis, Oct. lil. 

Joseph Watts, " " 

The 13th of August seems to liave been a Held day for the 
people of Wayne township. On the 14th, nothing .^eems to have 
been done. Whether it was Sunday, or was taken u}) with call- 
ing for bids on the tracts of land now in Spioeland and Frank- 
lin tovvn<;hips, is not known. On the 15th, the sale ( ommeneed 
for lands in Henry township, when seven persons responded to 
the 'call of their numbers, and subsequently some ten other pur- 
chases were made, as will be seen below : 

Allen Shepherd. Aug. 15, Asahel VVoodard, Aug. 20, 

Win. < '. Drew, " " Thomas Woodard, Aug. £0, 

Thomas Symons, '* " Joseph IJolman, Aug. 27, 

t'ristopher Bundy, " " Aaron Mills, Aug. .31, 

Joseph tlohson, " " Ann Ward, Sept. IM, 

Wm. Shannon, " " Caleb Commons, Sept. 21, 

Joseph Newby, " " Joseph Hiatt, Sept. 24, 

George Iloljson, Aug. 16, Wm. P.hint, Sr.. Oct. 17. 
Robert Hill, Aug. 21, 

Th(^ auctioneer then passed on to Liberty township, range 

11 east, township 17, and found bidders more plentiful. The 
list and <lates below will serve to show sometliing of the tone of 
the market. We will let Wm. Roe, probably a l)lood relatiye ol 
the celebrated Richard Roe, whom school boys will remember 
as having extensive dealings with John Doe, head the list. 
William Hoe, Aug. 16, Jacob Kinehart, Sept. 4, 

Andrew Shannon, " " Peler Khinehart, Sept. 4, 

William Yates, " " Jonathan Tierson, Sept. 4, 

Thomas P.atson, " " John Heaman, Sept. 4, 

Jesse Martindale, " " (ieorge ( oons, Sept. 12, 

Moses Robertson, *' " Enoch (JoflT, Sept. VO, 

John Beard. " " Elisha Long, Oct. 20, 

Jeremiah Strode, " " Jerry Long, Oct. 20, 

William Bell, " «< John Baker, Oct. 22, 

Daniel VVami)ler, " " Keneker Johnson, Nov. 4, 

David Brower, " " Jesse Fortner, Nov. 12, 

Joshua Hardman, " " Dilwin Bales, Nov. 30, 

John l^eavell, " *' Jeremiah Hadley, Dec. 5, 

George Handley, " " Richard CouAvay, Dec. 5, 

Samuel ;^>outhron, " " Watson Roe, Dec. 5, 

Robert Thompson, " " John Koons, Dec. 5, 

Micaiah Chamness, " '* George Hobson, Dec. 6, 

John Daugherty, Aug- SO, John Marshall, Dec. 6, 

Henry Brower, Aug. 21, Thomas Hobson, Dec. 6, 

Thomas Raleston, Aug. 31, Thomas Mills, Dec. 6, 



LAND SALE AND FIRST ENTRIJIS. 11 

Daniel Miller, Aug. 31, Joli" Stapler, Dec. 7, 

Prosper Miokels, Aug. 31, .Tosiah ( lawson, Dec. 20. 

In Dudley township, the purchasers seem to have taken it 
more leisurely, and strung their purchases out from the time of 
the land sale to the end of the year, and are as follows : 

Wm. Owens, Feb. 4, John Gilleland, Sept. 1, 

David Butler, Aug. 8, Susannah Leaky, Sept. 8, 

Josiah Morris, Aug. 11, Joseph R. Leaky, Sept. 8, 

Stephen Hall, Aug. 16, Joseph Cox, Oct. 5, 

Jesse Shortridge, Aug. 16, John Green, Oct. 6, 

Dally Beard, Aug. 16, William Riadon, Oct. 17, 

Elisha Shortridge, Aug. 17, W. McKinney, Oct. 20, 

John Wilson, Aug. 18, Josiah Gilbert, Oct. 21, 

Jesse Fraizer, Aug. 18. Exum Elliott, Oct, 23, 

Jonathan Bundy, Aug. 21, David Thompson, Nov. £6, 

William Maudlin, Aug. 24, Aaron Morris, Nov. 27, 

Hampton Green, Aug. 24, John Pool, Dec. 1, 

William Seward, ,Aug. 28, John Smith, Dec. 3, 

Joseph Charles, A^ug. 30, Daniel Paul, Dec. 12. 
Linus French, Aug. 31, 

The following are all the purchasers of land, in 1821, within 
the present limits of Franklin township : 
William Felton, Aug. 28, John Charles, Dec. 28. 

Charles See, Sept. 16, 

Within the present limits of Spiceland township, there 
were twelve entries, in that year, as follows : 

Daniel Jackson, Aug. 17, William Mustard, Sept. 1, 

Sol. Ryrkett, Aug. 27, James Carr, Sept. 14, 

William Felton, Aug. 28, Jacob Elliott, Oct. 3, 

Allen Hunt, Aug. 30, William Elliott, Nov. 6, 

Jacob Hall, Aug. 30, William Berry, Dec. 20, 

Nathan Davis, Aug. 31, Joseph Charles, Dec. 24. 

Within the limits of Greensboro township, there were eight 
entries, in that year, namely : 

Samuel Hill, Aug. 15, John Harvey, Sr., Aug. 21, 

Thomas McCoy, Aug. 15, Samuel Pickering, Aug. 28, 

Levi Cook, Aug. 20, John Harvey, Aug. 30, 

Lewis Hosier, Aug. 20, Jacob Elliott, Oct. .3. 

In 1822, only three entries were made within the limiti of 

Fall Creek township, as follows : 

Benj. G. Bristol, Aug. 27, Reuben Bristol, Oct. 4.* 

James W. Wier, Sept. 26, 

*An "old settler" informs us that no such man owned land in the 
township in early times, and that he is certain that B. G. Bristol and 
James Wier did not enter their lands earlier than 1828 or 18£9. 



12 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

There does not seem to have been any purchases made 
within the limits of Jefierson township, (luring the year 1822, 
hut M'itliin the limits of Prairie township, there was more 
activity, and the following names appear : 
Absalom Harvey, Oct. 22, William narvey, Oct. 25, 

Robert Smith, Oct. 25, John Harris, " " 

Barclay Eenbow, " " Jacob Weston, Nov. 12, 

James Harvey, " " Jacob Witter, Dec. 11, 

Abijah Cox, ' " " Philip Harkrider, Dec. 22. 

Benjamin Harvey, " " 

These were generally, or all, on Blue River, the bottom and 
second bottom lands of which seemed very attractive to the 
early settler. There seems to have been but one entry within 
the limits of Stony Creek, that of Andrew Blunt, Jr., Nov. 11. 
Within the present-limits of Blue River, however, the following 
secured themselves homesteads : 

Richard Wilson, Oct. 28, John Koons, Nov. 11, 

Michael Conway, Oct. 28, Jacob llnstou, Nov. 12, 

Geoi-ge Hobson, Oct. 28, Oeorjre Hedrick. Nov. 13, 

Joseph Cory, Oct. 81, Richard Alsbaugh, Nov. 14, 

Abraham Cory. Oct. 31, Henry Metz^er. Nov. 14, 

Betsy Corv, Oct. 31, Henry Stumph, Nov. 18, 

Reuben Wilson, Nov. 4, John P. Johnson, Nov. 22. 

Oeorg'e Koons, Nov. 6, 

Dempsey Rees entered a tract of land in Harrison town- 
ship, April 29, 1822, which was the only piece purchased in 
the township, during the year. Zeno Reason and Richard Rat- 
liff purchased land in January following, and Levi Pearson and 
Gabriel Ratliff, in June and July, which completed the transac- 
tions for the year 1823. 

The land office for this district was at Brookville until 1825, 
when it was transferred to Indianapolis, then a village of little 
consequence, there being fewer voters in Marion county at that 
time than there are in Henry township to-da3^ 

The manner of the land sale was to commence in a certain 
township in a certain range, and offer each tract or eighty-acre 
lot, consecutively, till the whole was gone through with. If no 
one bid, the tract being called by number was soon passed. 
When a number was called, the ''squatter'' who, perhaps, had a 
few acres cleared, or a little cabin on the same, could become 
the purchaser at $1 25, the minimum price, unless some one run 
it up on him. 



ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY. 13 

Where two persons had the same number and were desirous 
of entering the same eighty or one hundred and sixty-acre lot, 
it was no uncommon thing for one to buy tlie other off, with 
some trifling sura, say $10 to $25, and, although the law of pub- 
lie opinion was such that neighbors would seldom try to buy 
eiieh others improvements from under them, still there were 
cases in which no little feeling was excited in such cases, and 
various little intrigues were resorted to, to bluff or out-wit com- 
petitors. 

If for any reason a man failed to bid on a piece of land he 
desired to purchase, it sometimes happened that he could prevail 
on the auctioneer to call it up "just after dinner," or the "first 
thing next morning.'' From and after the land sale, all lands 
were subject to private entry at the minimum price. 



ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY. 



By an act of the Legislature, bearing date February, 1821, 
" the south part of Delaware,"* commencing at the soutliwest 
corner of Wayne county, thence running west twenty miles, 

*"A11 that part of the New Purchase lately acquired of the Indians, 
lying east of the second principal meridian, but not included within the 
limits of any organized county, shall hereafter be known and designated 
by the name of the county of DelaAvare, and the counties contiguous 
thereto and east of the meridian shall have concurrent jurisdiction 
throughout."— [See page 108, Revised Laws, 1824.] 

This "second principal meridian" is about sixteen miles west of 
Indianapolis. The eastern limit of the "New Purchase" was the "Indian 
boundary," running near the western limits of Wayne county and bear- 
ing N N E till it crossed the Ohio line in Jay county. Its northern limit 
was the Wabash River, and it extended south to the boundary of Jennings 
county. Decatur, Shelby, Rush, Monroe, Marion, Huntington, Allen, and 
many more were formed in part out of "Delaware county," although the 
present county of Delaware was not organized until 1820, five years after 
Henry and Rush. This "concurrent jurisdiction" sometimes made it the 
duty of a High Constable of Henry county to ride all the way to White 
River, near the present site of Noblesville, to attach the property v^i a. 
creditor. 



It HENRY COfJNTY; PAST AM) PllESENT. 

thence north twenty mik^s, tlionce east twenty miles, thence 
south to the place of beginning, was declared erected into a new 
county, to be " known and designate*! by the name and style of 
Henry county," and from and after the fi»'st day of June next, 
it w^as to enjoy all the rights and privileges of a separate and 
independent county, and, in short, to do much as other counties 
do. 

Lawrence Brannon and John Bell, of Wayne county, John 
Sample, of F'ayette, Richard Biem, of Jackson, and J. W. Scott, 
of Union, were appointed, by the same act. Commissioners, to 
meet at the house of Joseph Hobson, in said county of Henry, 
"on the lirst Monday of July next," for the purpose of locating 
the county seat. 

It was also provided by the Legislature that the Sheriff of 
Wayne county should notify said Commissioners of their ap- 
pointment, and that the county of Henry should make said 
Sheriff of Wayne a reasonable compensation for such service. 
This mandate of the Legislature seems to have been duly hon- 
ored by our county, as we find that the Commissioners of Henry 
soon passed an order that " Elias Willets, Sheriff of Wayne 
county be allowed fifteen dollars " for the service, which was 
certainly cheap enough, considering that the appointees lived in 
four counties, and that the Sheriff must travel at least 250 miles 
in the performance of his duty. On the other hand, these early 
Commissioners were certainly quite as liberal as could have 
been expected, since the sum was about one-tenth of the entire 
revenue, county and State, collected for the first fiscal year. 

To perfect the organization, a corps of county officials had 
to be provided, and Governor Jennings, pursuant to a law for 
fluch cases made and provided, issued a warrant, January 1, 
1822, to Jesse H. Healy, a citizen of the incipient county, to act as 
Sheriff, with instructions to issue notice of an election to be held 
at some private house, at an early day, for the election of a 
Sheriff", Clerk of the Circuit Court, two Associate Judges, and 
three County Commissioners. Of the number of votes cast, or 
the points on which the contest turned, no information can at 
this day be found. This election was held prior to July, 1822, 



TOWNSIIir ORGANIZATION. 15 

as the officers elect were all furnished with certificates bearing 
date July 5, 1822. 

Jesse H. Healy was elected SheriflF; Rene Julian, Clerk and 
Recorder; Thos. R. Stanford and Elisha Long, Associate 
Judges; Allen Shepherd, Wm. Shannon, and Samuel Goble, 
Esqrs., Commissioners. 



TOWXSH IP ORGANIZATION. 



At the time of the assembling of the first Commissioners' 
Court, June 10, 1822, there were no civil townships in exist- 
ence, within its jurisdiction, and one of its first cares was to 
provide a few of these indispensable dependencies, "with a local 
habitation and a name.'' After describing, in fitting language, 
the metes and bounds of these "territories," the Commissioners 
declared that "from and after the first Saturday in July next" 
they should each ''■enjoij all the rights and privileges and jurisdic- 
tions which to separate and independent townships do or may 
properly belong or appertain.'' 

Whether this idea of an independent and separate existence 
and jurisdiction smacks of "State rights" or not, the reader 
must judge. The Commissioners were an authority in the land, 
in those days, and it is quite sa''e to conclude that they fully 
intended to carve out of tlie territorial limits of Henry county 
several little republics, which wora to be fully competent to 
manage their domestic institut'ons in their own way. 

The townships thus provided were four in number, viz.: 
Dudley, Wayne, Henry, and Prairie. Dudley and Wayne com- 
posed the First Commissioners' District, Henry the Second, and 
Prairie the Third. 

The original boundaries of Henry countj- were not identical 
with those of the present day, and, as a consequence, the bounda- 
ries of the townships lying on the east ani west borders of 
the county underwent some change when the new boundaries 



16 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PliESENT. 

were fixed by the Legislature, in 183-. A township meeting-^ 
notwithstanding the size of the township, must have been a 
small affair in those times. Three years after, when the popula- 
tion had probably more than doubled, the whole vote for Gov- 
ernor was but 366. 



DUDLEY TOWNSHIP. 



Dudley, the first township called into being by the fiat of the 
Commissioners, June 11, 1822, began at "tlie southeast corner of 
Henry count}^, of which it is a part," and running thence west 
on the county line dividing Ilenr}-, Fayette and Rush counties, 
about nine and one-fourth miles from the present east line of 
the county, and was six miles in width. It consequently con- 
tained at least fifty-five and one-half sections of land, and com- 
prised all of its present limits and about four-fifths of the 
present township of Franlclin. 

At this date, it is estimated that there were not 150 persons 
residing within the limits of the township. 

A round of log rollings, house raisings, and similar "bees" 
occupied much of their time, and talk with one of these vete- 
rans and you will very likely be told that they enjoyed them- 
selves and felt as hopeful, contented, and happy as at any period 
since. 

"Friends' Meeting House," a hewed log edifice^ which 
the writer remembers as standing about one mile southeast 
of the present site of Hopewell Meeting House, was ei-ected in 
1823 or 1824, and was, no doubt, the first attempt at church 
architecture in the township or in the county.* The congrega- 
tion had been in the habit of worshiping at the house of Wm. 



*A Baptist church, a log builrling about 18x20 feet, was erected about 
oue and o:ie-half miles northeast of Daniel Paul's, so near the same time 
us to render it difficult to determine which is entitled to the claim of 
seniority. This church was used as a school house for a number of years. 



DUDLEY TOWNSHIP. 17 

Charles, north of where Harden's old tavern stand used to be. 
An ancient orchard still marks the spot. 

A school house soon followed, with all the elegant appurte- 
nances and appliances of the times for assisting the "young idea 
to shoot." 

Dudley was the gateway of the county, as three principal 
thoroughfares from the east and southeast led through it. It 
presents, perhaps, less variety of surface than any other town- 
ship in the county, being almost entirely table land, lying on 
"the divide" between Flatrock and West River, with perhaps 
two-thirds of its surfiice finding drainage to the latter. 

The passersby of early days regarded it as most unpromis- 
Ingly wet. Although very little of it can be termed rolling, it 
is now seen to be sufficiently undulating to permit the most 
complete drainage of almost every acre, and under improved 
culture the large average crops and general fertility stamps it 
as one of the best bodies of land in tlie county. 

Dudley of to-day is five and a quarter by six miles in extent, 
an J thus contains about 19,000 acres ; divided into 191 farms, an 
average of about 103 acres each ; supporting an almost exclu- 
sively rural population of 1,348 souls, about 43}4 per square 
mile, divided between 268 families and 267 dwellings. Of this 
number but 13 are foreigners — less than one per cent, while the 
natives of the "Old North State" number 126, or nearly ten per 
cent, of the whole population. The value of the lands and im- 
provements for 1870 was $542,120. The town lots and improve- 
ments were valued at $6,300, and the personal property at 
$249,970, making a total of wealth of $798,500. 

The first election was ordered to be held at the house of Mr. 
Paul, on Saturday, July 6th, 1822, for the purpose of electing 
one Justice of the Peace, and William McKimmy was appointed 
Inspector. William McKimmy and Garnett Hayden were ap- 
pointed first Overseers of the Poor for Dudley township, and 
Richard Pearson and Robert Thompson "Fence-viewers." The 
elections were afterward held at Benjamin Strattan's for a num- 
ber of years; about 1840, at Daniel Reynolds'; then at New 
Lisbon. Soon two polls were opened— one at New Lisbon, 

3 



IS HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PliESKNT. 

.ind the other near Straiighn's. Again the polls were united, 
and held at James Macy's. At this time there are two polls — 
one at Kew Lisbon, and the other on the National Road. 

To-daj', instead of the mere "trace," the "See trail,'' the 
blazed bridle path, winding around througii the thickets, around 
or over logs, through "slashes," or high grass and stinging net- 
tles, high as a nian^s shoulders, so well remembered bj' the "old- 
est inhabitant," or over miles and miles of "corduroy road," of 
which "internal improvements" Dudley could, twenty or 
twenty-five years ago, vie with the world, the township has 
near thirty miles of fine turnpike, splendid and well drained 
farms and farm houses that vie with the best. 



W A \' N E T O W N S H I P. 

The second grand division named in order, on the public 
records, was to be known and designated by the name and style 
of Wayne township. Tt was originally six miles from north 
to south, and eleven in length from east to west, including all 
that territory west of Dudley-. It thus included in its fair do- 
main about 42,000 acres of very valuable land, much of it to-day 
the most valuable in the county. Its first boundaries included 
one-fifth of the present townsnip of Franklin, all of Spiceland, 
and one-sixth of Greensboro. Although thrice shorn of a por- 
tion of its "independent jurisdiction," its present area is a 
trifle in excess of thirty-tliree square miles. 

Wayne township had, at the date of its organization, from 
thirty to forty fiimilies, though the very choice lands, fine 
spriiigs, and abundant Water power of Blue Riverj Buck and 
Montgomery creeks, marked it for rapid settlement. A village 
was projected at the mouth of Moligomery's Creek, on the 
county line, as well as "old State road," at once. This became 
the emporium of trade for the region round about, and rejoiced 
in all the metropolitan splendors of a "one-eyed groce^ry" and 
dry goods store kept by Aaron Maxwell. This "Chamber of 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 19 

Commerce," in 1822, consisted of a very indifferent log cabin, 
wltli a wide lire place, flanked on one side by a rude table, 
-where Mrs. Maxwell compounded "red bread," and on the other 
by a barrel of whisky and about as niLiny bolts of calico, etc., 
as could be piled upon a chair. 

Raccoon polts seem to have been the principal circulating 
medium, and several years afterward, when the stimulus of 
sharp competition had taxed the energies of the merchant 
princes of the day, the old ladies were at times under the ne- 
cessity of sending b^- the mail boy for a little tea or other lux- 
ury, and young ladies in quest of a bridal trosseau would mount 
their palfrej's and make a day's journey to Connersville for the 
outfit. 

The Methodists had preaching at West Libertj', in a very 
early daj'^, perhaps as early as 1823, Rev. Constant Bliss Jones 
officiating. The preaching was held at Mr. Hatton's private 
house for some time. Jones was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Brown, 
who seems to have resided at West Libert}'. Mrs. Eliza Jones 
(then Miss Gary,) taught a school, in 1825 and 1826, and was the 
first female teacher in those parts. She, with Mrs. Peggy Jones, 
the minister's wife, oi-ganized the first Sabbath school in the 
township, perhaps in the county. 

At the first meeting of the Board of Commissioners, an 
election was ordered to be held at the house of Joseph Watts, 
July 6th, for the purpose of electing the one Justice of the 
Peace for the township. Abraham Ileaton Avas appointed In- 
spector, and seems to have been elected the first Justice. In 
August, Elijah McCray and E. Hardin were appointed Consta- 
bles of AVayne township, until tlie February term, next in 
course. In November, Daniel Priddy was also appointed 
Constable. Ebenezer Goble and Samuel Fui-gason Avere ap- 
pointed Overseers of the Poor, and Daniel Heaton, Shaphet 
McCray, and Jacob Parkhurst first "Fence-viewers in and for 
Wayne township," and Abraham Ileaton was also appointed 
Superintendent of the school sections in Wayne township. The 
elections in this township were a'terward held at Prudence 
Jackson's house, till 1825; changed to Solomon Byrkett's, in 



20 JIENKl COUNTY; FAST AM> IMIKSENT. 

1827; then to Jacob Parkhurst's, then to Raysville and 
Knightstown alternately, and soon afterward fixed permanently 
at Knightstown. 

Abraham Heaton seems to have had, at tliis early day, a 
mill erected at the mouth of Buck Creek, a few rods south of 
what has for many years been known as the "White Mill." 
John Anderson, afterward "Judge Anderson," then a fresh arri- 
val, dug the race and, receiving $100 for the same, walked to 
Brookville and entered a part of the present site of Raysville. 

Immediately after the organization of the township was 
eftected, the Commissioners ordered the location of a road "to 
commence at the town of New Castle, and from thence the 
nearest and best way to Abraham Heaton's mills, and from 
thence to the county line, where section thirty-three and thirty- 
four corner in township sixteen and range nine, on the line 
dividing fifteen and sixteen." The terminus was West Liberty, 
and the route selected was the river route from New Castle via 
Teas' mill, the stone quarry, and Elm Grove. This was the 
second ordered in the county, the first being from New Castle 
via John Baker's and David Thompson's, on Symons' Creek, to 
the county line, on a direct course, to Shook's Mill, in Wayne 
county, which shows of what importance the opening of the 
"Cracker line" was to the early settlements. Not to be won- 
dered at either, since "going to mill" required about two to four 
days out of the month. 

Wayne is the most populous and wealthy township of the 
county to-day. According to the recent census, its area is di- 
vided into 206 farms ; an average of about 103 acres each. It 
has a population of 3,334, or about 100 per square mile. The 
value of lands and improvements for 1870 was $664,710; of town 
lots and improvements, $433,120 ; while personal property foots 
up to the snug little sum of $682,540, making a total of $1,784,370. 
Something more than one-half its population is to be found in 
Knightstown, Raysville, and Grant and Elizabeth Cities, 330 of 
its 680 families residing in Knightstown alone. Dudley and 
Wayne, with tiie townships carved out of them, constitute the 
First Commissioners' District, as they always have. 



HENRY TOWNSFIIP. 21 



HENRY TOWNSHIP. 



Henry, the third township, in the "order of their going," 
upon the records, was also called up June, 1822, and was a strip 
of territory six miles wide, extending quite across the county 
from east to west, and including what is now Liberty, Henry, 
three-fifths of Harrison, and nearly all of Greensboro township. 
This constituted the Second Commissioners' District. It at first 
contained 118 square miles, or over 75,000 acres. 

Henry township now contains 36 square miles, and is near- 
ly the geographical center of the county, and is the only one in 
the county in which the Congressional is identical with the 
civil township. Ten years after the organization of the county, 
this township had not over 500 inhabitants, while to-day it num- 
bers over 2,800, nearly one-half of whom live in the "rural 
deestricts." It now contains 135 farms of near 160 acres each, 
and maintains a population of 78 to the square mile. There are 
592 families, 67 colored persons, 121 of foreign Inrth, and 152 
natives of old North Carolina, in the township. 

Blue River, dividing the township nearly in the center, is 
too sluggish to furnish a good mill seat within the limits of the 
township. Duck Creek skirts through the northwest corner of 
the township, and Flatrock through the southeast corner. The 
table lands between these streams are nearly one hundred feet 
above the bed of Blue River, and, although there is perhaps as 
much rolling land in this township as any in the county, there 
is very little so rolling as to merit the term broken, or too much 
80 as to admit of culture. Recent efforts at ditching and 
straightening the channel of Blue River bid fair to completely 
redeem tho marshy bottom lands, which are of inexhaustible 
fertility. 

The county seat being located in Henry township would of 
itself (even in the absence of natural advantages,) have secured 
to this township an important position in the county, both 



22 HENRY COLTNTY; P^^ST AND PRESENT. 

financially and politically. It is the second township in both 
these respects in the county. The value of tlie real and personal 
property in the county, by the assessment of 1870, is shown to 
be : lands and improvements, $GS9,350 ; lots and improvements, 
$yQ0,S70; personal property, $G09,400, making the snug total of 
$1,599,G20. 

The first election was held at the house of Samuel Bedson ; 
Charles Jamison, Inspector. Asaliei Woodard, Mlcajah Cham- 
ness, and Thomas Watkins, were appointed Fence-viewers for 
Henry township. Wm. Shannon and Samuel Bedson were elect- 
ed first Justices of the Peace. 



PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP, 



The fourth of the original townships, included all the territory 
lying north of Henry, and was eight miles in width and nearly 
twenty in length, thus giving it an area of nearly IGO square 
miles or about 105,000 acres. Within its ample limits were all 
of the present townships of Blue River, Stony Creek, Pruirie, 
Jeflerson, Fall Creek, and about two-fifths of Harrison. 

In spite of the mutations which have since overtaken it, 
the township of this day remains five miles in width by eight 
in lengtli, tluis containing over 25,000 acres, which are divided 
into 201 farms, averaging about 122 acres each. 

Prairie contains four villages, viz.: T^uray, Springport, Mt. 
Summit, and Hillsboro. About seventy families live in the 
villages, and two hundred and fortj' in the "country." The 
population numbers 1,G22, or a little more tlian forty to the 
square mile. The value of farms and improvements last year 
was $559,210; of town lots and improvements, $10,G10; of per- 
sonal property, $258,G50, making a total for the township of 
$828,470. 

This is a remarkable township in many respects. Situated 
as it is, on tlie "divide" between White and Blue Rivers, about 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 23 

one-half its surface finds drainage to the north and the^ remain- 
der southward, and although thus situated on the "vva'ter shed," 
nearly one-sixth of its surface consists of low, wet meadows, 
from lifty to eighty feet below the general level of the table 
lands. It is from these meadows or prairies that the township 
takes its name. These "tlowery leas" seem ever to have been 
coveted, although within the memory of the oldest inhabitant 
large portions of them were so flooded with water much of the 
year as to be chiefly valuable as the resort of waterfowl. To- 
day, however, under an extensive system of drainage, even the 
wettest portions of these prairies are being thoroughly re- 
deemed, making ftirms which for inexhaustible fertility cannot 
be surpassed anywhere. 

The first election for Justice of the Peace was held July 6, 
1822, at the house of Absalom Harvey, Wm, Harvey, Inspector. 
Wm. Harvey and Abijah Cane were appointed first Overseers 
of the Poor, and Aljraham Harvey, James Massey, and Robert 
Gordon, Fence-viewers "in and for said township." In 1826, 
the place of holding elections was changed to Sampson Smith's, 
afterward to Enoch Dent's, and again to E. T. Hickman's, where 
it remained for many years, but, in 18^6, was changed to James 
Harvey's. 

The first school house in the township was built on Shubal 
Julian's land, better known of late as the "Shively Farin," per- 
haps in 1821 or 1825. It was a small affair, with split saplings 
for seats, and a fire-place across the entire end. Senator Hess 
and Ex-Treasurer Julian graduated here. Milton Wayman was 
first teacher. This house was also used as a church by the Bap- 
tists. 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 

Liberty was the fifth township organized, this important 
ceremony bearing date of February 12, 1822. It was a clipping 



24 HENK^ COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

from the east end of Heniy township, and, according to the 
metes and bounds prescribed, it was at first one mile less in ex- 
tent from east to west than at present. It is now six miles 
wide by six and tliree-fourths in length, thus embracing about 
forty square miles, mostly table land, of a very fine quality 
generally. Flatrock, rising in Blue River township, enters this 
township near the middle of its northern boundary, passing out 
near the southwest corner. The valley of this stream is so 
slightly depressed as to form nothing worthy to be called bluffs, 
and, although too sluggish to be of much value for hydraulic 
purposes, it, with its small tributaries, seems in some way con- 
nected with the drainage and fertility of a wide belt of superb 
farming lands. Tlie two Symons' Creeks, heretofore mentioned, 
find their soiuces in Liberty township, and now furnish ample 
drainage to many sections of fine land that, doubtless, in the 
early days of this county, passed for very wet land. 

The aggregate value of the fiirms and improvements of Lib- 
erty township to-day exceeds that of the farms of any other 
township of the county, and the evidence of thrift and "farm- 
ing for profit" are nowhere more generally visible than in Lib- 
erty township. Four villages have been projected in the town- 
ship— Millville, Ashland, Petersburg, and Chicago, though it is 
presumed that the proprietors of the two last named, if still 
living, have long since abandoned the hope of seeing them out- 
strip their namesakes. Under the new turnpike law, many 
miles of turnpike have sprung into existence, and to-day the 
people of this township rejoice in the advantage of traveling to 
almost any point on good pikes, there being about thirty miles 
completed in the township, and much more projected. 

Tlie population numbers 1,868, almost exclusively rural. Its 
24,000 acres are divided into 203 farms; an average of 120 acres 
each. Its population numbers about 49 to the square mile, and 
is divided between 376 families. There are 6 persons of color, 
19 foreigners, 64 iNorth Carolinians, and 32 Virginians, within 
the township. 

The wealth of the township was estimated for the purpose 
of taxation, in 1870, as follows; Farms and improvements, 



STONY CREEK TOWNSHIP. 2,:i 

$712,430; town lots and improvements, $5,950: pcrsong,! proper- 
ly, $325,410; total valuation, $15043,790. 

The first election -was held at the house of Ezekiel Leavell, 
<m the first Saturday in May, 1823, for the election of two Jus- 
tices of the Peace. Ezekiel Leavell was Inspector. John Smith 
was made Supervisor of all the roads in tlie township. Jacob 
Tharp and Cyrus Cotton were appointed Overseers of the Poor. 
In 1825, the elections were ordered to be held at the house of 
Samuel D. Wells, and continued to be held at his house for -j. 
uumber of vears. 



STONY C II E E K TOWNS II I P. 



This township, the next in order of organization, was "set 
up" Iv^'ovember 11, 1828. By its creation Prairie Township lost 
•about one-third of its "independent jurisdiction," as Stony 
Creek w^as bounded on the west by the range line separating ten 
and ejevcn, and extending, as it did, to the eastern boundary <>i' 
Uie county, including all north of Liberty township, made it :i 
region of no small consequence. It w^as at first eight miles from 
north to south, six miles wide on the north, and about six and 
three-fourths on its south line, and had in its ample area about 
forty-nine and one-half sections of land. A tier of eight sec- 
tions liave since been re-annexed to Prairie to compensate, no 
doubt, in a measure, for the loss of more than two townships on 
the west. Illue Eiver township has also been carved out of 
Stony Creek, thus reducing it in size to bare twenty square 
miles, about two-fifths of its primal area, and leaving it the 
smallest of our "baker's dozen.'' 

The township is fittingly named from a creek, which, rising 
near, runs nearly jnrallel Avith, its southern border, then runs 
north across the townsliip and finalh^ into AVhite River. The 
immense quantities of bowlders or "traveled stones'' scattered 

over some of the highest ridges and points in the township 

4 



26 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

must not only arrest the attention and excite the curiosity of 
the observer, but at once obviate the necessity of inquiry as to 
the township's name. 

This township presents, perhaps, a greater variety of 
fiurface and soil than any. other equal area in the county, and 
while there is every variety of timber to be found in 
the county, so far as our ob«iervation has gone, there is a larger 
proportion of oak here than elsewhere, and less poplar, ash, &c., 
tlian in any place south of township eighteen. 

There is a portion of two or more prairies in this township, 
similar to those in Prairie. The bottom lands are doubtless 
equal to any in the county, while the higher lands, which the 
casual observer would, perliaps, pronounce thin or poor, not 
only produce abundant crops of the smaller grains, but Indian 
corn of more than average size. There are 118 fiirms in the 
townshij); an average of about 109 acres each. Blountsville 
and Rogersvillc are the only villages. The population is 934; 
divided between 197 families. Tliere are thirteen colored per- 
sons, 10 foreigners, 21 natives of Xorth Carolina, and 35 Virgin- 
ians in the township. 

This township can boast of capacious barns, some of »vhicb» 
for style and linlsh, would put to shame the dwellings of some of 
our well-to-do farmers. 

The assessed value of farms and improvements is $178,940; 
of town lots, $G,500 ; and of personal, $112,330, making a total 
of $332,590. 

The first election was held at the house of Thomas ITobson* 
Jr., December 20, 182S, for the purpose of electing one Justice 
of tli'C Peace, Wm. Wyatt, Inspector. 



FALL CREEK TOWNSHIR • 



The next township in order was named Fall Creek, organ- 
Ued August, 1829* This was at first declared to be eight miles 



TAXJL CREEK TOWNSHIP. fi 

m Ir^iigtli, from nortli to south, hy seven in width. It thus em- 
brace! I within its limits iifty-six square miles, or 35,840 acre^^, 
and yet with this ample domain the township could only muster 
twenty-nine votes at an exciting election, in 1830, and of these 
but three were Whig votes. Since this day, a strip two miles in 
width has been given to 'Harriso'n township, and two miles on 
the east to Jeflerson, leaving the toAvniship six miles in length, 
from north to south, and five -i^iiles ill width. 

Fall Creek is a well watered and very fertile toAVnship, and 
well improved farms a^id good buildings indicate that the hus-- 
bandman is being well repaid for his labors. The creek from 
which the township takes its nain-e, rising near the north-east 
corner, and meanderiTig througb, leaves the township, near the 
soutliwest corner, having sulficient fall to fuitiish valuable water 
power. Deer Creek, a tributary, rising in Haii-ison township, 
near Cadiz, emptying into Fail Creek, abo-ut one and one-half 
miles north of Mechanicsburg, also furnishes fair water power. 
A "corn cracker"* was erected on this stream, about the year 
1826. Benjamin Franklin, then a boy, now a noted preacher, is 
said to have dug the race. This was the first mill in that part 
•of the county, and^ notwithstanding these early facilities for 
procuring the "staff of life," Lewis Swain and others might 
have been seen living on grated corn bread or mush, for weeks 
at a time, some eight years afterward. 

A very rude log school house, with split pole benches and 
greased paper windows, did servi<^ in the Keesling neighbor- 
hood, as late as 1831 or 1832. Robert Price, a brother of Rice 
Price, ^vas the first teacher. Lewis Swain was af- 
terward Principal of this institution. Some of the earlier settlers 
■can remember attendino,- log rollings every day for weeks to- 
gether. 

Middletown, ]\Iechani(;sburg, and Honey Creek are the vil- 
lages of the township, and contain nearly one-half the popula- 
lation of the township; 197 families living in town, and 209 in 
the country. The total population of the township is 2,004, or 
•about 06 to the square mile. Of these 31 are foreigners, 30 North 
Carolinians, 321 Virginians, and 4 colored person?. 



as III^UY COUNTY; PAST AND rRESi:NT. 

The wciillh of the township wjis estimated, last year, for 
the purpose of taxation, as follows: Farms, $522,270; town loin, 
$72,000; personal property, $412,280; lota), $1,007,100. 

All elections were ordered to be held at tlie houne of AbrA- 
liam 'J'homa.s, but, in 1832, it was ordered that they hereailci- bo 
held at Middletown. 



F n A N KLIN ']' W X 8 II I V 



Franklin township wns or^^anizcd on the r)th of January, 
1R:"50. It was constructed out of Dudley and Wayno 
townships, and, from the order makin.<i* it a township, we learji 
that the west line was about three-fourths of uule west ol" the 
villa^-e of OjL^len, and continued north to the line dividin.2; town- 
«liips sixteen and seventeen, which wovdd make the nortiiwc.*-t 
corner of l-'ranklin, about one ndle west of the Duck Creek 
Meetln<^ House. From this point the northern boundary ran 
oast eight miles, or within three-fourths of a mile of the ])resent 
eastern limits of the township. This gave it jurisdiction over 
nearly all its present territory, all of Spiceland, a small fraction 
of >Vayne (Just north of the "stone quarry"), and three section* 
now claiuKHi by Greensboro. In the following year, a change 
was made in tlie western boundary, Avhich gave Wayne another 
tier of sections and made the noithwest corner of Franklin 
township, just about where the Duck Creek Meeting House now 
Mtands, aiuL perhaps, within tiic corporate limits of Greensboro. 

All elections were ordered to be held at the house of Joseph 
Copelan 1. John C!opcland was appointed Inspector, and Joseph 
Kelium, Lister; and the iirst election was ordered on. the lir^^t 
Saturday in February, 3830. i"j)on the setting uj) of Spiceland 
townshij),in 3822, IVanklin, which underwent another mutation, 
was given a slice oil" of Dudley, and was then contracted to iu 
present limits oX five miles in width, fiom east to west, by six 
in length. 



GTIEKNSBORO TOWNSHIP. 20 

Flatrock -di-a-s its ?^1onv lon-th along ' near the m-uMlo of 
the tovvn.sl.ip, and, allhou-li at two or three points it l»as hecn 
.onipeUed to do duty as a mill Rtrcani, it has never established 
rnu.h of a eliaraeter for ener<,T. I^ ^^^^^ever, U the natural 
d.aln or a remarkably fertih. body of land. lUiek Creek drains 
tlu! nortliAve.st eorner of the townshli). 

The pre.^ent area of the township is al^out 17,200 aeres, di- 
vided into ir>l larnis; an avera-c of ahout lU aeres eaeh. 
Irwisville is the onl vvilh.-e, 8(5 taniilies residin- in .1, while 
-ir. "reside in the eountry." Of tiie population -12 are forei-nerf, 
13 are <-ok)red, 124 are North Carolinians, and 29 Virginuni 
The wealth of the township is reported thus: Farms and 
improvements, $500,750; town lots and improvements, $12,%0; 
l.rrsonal property, $332,200 ; total, $875,070. 



GRKKNSBORO TOWNSHIP. 



Greensboro township, so named from an aneient viUnge of 
Xorth Carolina, Avns organized September 7, is31. it was at 
first deserihed as -all that part of the territory of Henry town- 
.),M) west of the rango line dividing nine and ten." Ihis mac.^ 
i,.;.ven mih^MVomeastto west, and six irom nortli to south, 
wlueh wouhl inelude nearly all of the prsent area of t!:e town- 
.!up and three-!lllhs of Harrison. In 1H3S, one-ludf its ternK- 
rv was given to Harrison, and a small addition-lbur s.piare 
miies-was ma.le to it; taken from the townships ot U ay.u. and 
Frn.klin This chang.,' removed the. township line one mde 
south from the vilhige of Creensboro, and left the township 
^vith an area of twenty-live ^cpiare mih's, or about 10,000 aere., 
divided into 118 larms: an average- of about 135 aeres (-aeh.^ 

Greensboro and Woodville, on the line between Harrison 
and Greensboro, are the only villages. Of the 315 lamihes in 
the township 70 live in Greensboro. Th<' population ot the 
township nmnbers 1,100. Of these but G are reported of lor- 



so- HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

eign birth,. 81 are colored, while 221 are Xorth Carolinian?, and? 
52 natives of Virginia. 

All elections were ordered to be held at Greensboro. The 
first was held on the fourtli Saturday of September, 1831, an(i 
Tliomas Reagan was- made the first Inspector of Elections. 

Greensboro is a well watered and fei'tile township. Bin© 
Eiver, skirting tlipough the southeast corner, and Duck Creek », 
running across the- eastern end, furnish fine water power.. 
Much of the laad along these water courses is quite rolling, and 
knolls, supplied with tiie most excellent gravel, render tui-n- 
pike building pw comparatively easy matter. Montgomery's 
Creek, c.-ossing the townsliip. near the middle, and Six-mile,, 
rising In, and running across, tlie western part of the township^ 
renders the complete drainage of a large and fertile portion of 
the township (originally cousLted as wet,) a matter of no great 
difficulty. 

Tlie assessed value of Greensboro township is : Farms, 
$361,850; town lots, $:J4,1 00; personal, $10G,;i30; total, $5U5,370. 



HARRISON TOWNSHIP. 



The large and important township of Harrison was fornifd' 
out of the north half of Greensboro and two tiers of sections olT 
the south side of Fall Creek, November 7, 1838,. and all elec- 
tions were ordered to be held at Cadiz. 

The general aspect of this township, which is five mile* 
from noith to south and seven from east to west, is that of high 
gently undulating tal)le land, Mith consideralde portions inclin- 
ing to Avet, but very fertile under a system of intelligent drain- 
atge already extensively ])egun. A larger number of small 
streams find their liejid waters in this than any other township 
of the county perhai)s. A small poition of the northeast cor- 
ner of the township finds drainage into Eeli Creek, and run» 
iiorlb,,and near Uift saniQ spot ris«s Iloui'y Creek, also ruauiiig; 



SPICELAND TOWNSIIIF. 31 

north. Deer Creek, rising near the center of the township, also 
rmu north bj'^ west, and empties into Fall Creek near Median- 
icsburg, while two other small tributaries of Fall Creek have 
their source in the north and northwest iwrtions o-f the town- 
ship, and in the central and western portions. Sugar Creek 
takes its rise and runs west, wliile Montgomery's Creek rises in 
the south part and runs south, and the west fork of Duck Creek 
rii»ing near Cadiz, also runs south, while the principal branch 
of that creek, with some small tributaries, pretty effectually 
drains the eastern end of the township. A little south and west 
of Cadiz can doubtless be found some of the highest land in tlie 
West part of the county. Cadiz and a part of Woodville are 
the only villages of the township. 

Harrison has 183 farms, which would make the average 
about 122 acres each. 

The township is assessed as follows : Farms, $-145,010; town 
lots, $11,030; personal, $217,390; total. $G73,430. 

At the tirst election, on the first Saturday in December, 
1S38, William Tucker Inspector, there Avere thirty-two votes 
j-ast — sixteen for each of the opposing candidates for Justico 
of the Peace — which state of facts rendered another eh'cti(»n 
necessary. Considering that the county had been settling 
np for a score of years, thirty-two voters must be counted 
ratlier slow progress. Harrison has to-day a population of 
1,916, of whom 32 are colored, 15 are foreign born, 101 are na- 
tives of Korth Carolina, and 109 M'cre born in Virginia. 

The first church and scliool house was probably at Clear 
Spring, in the- soutlieast corner of the township, constructed in 
1831-2, while it was a part of Greensboro township. 



S P I C E LAND TO W N S 11 1 P. 



This township the smallest in the county except Stony 
Creek, was organized June, 1812, "with headquarters" atOgden* 



32 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND TKESKNT. 

Koom for it was found by takinj]^ a slice of! Wayne and a four- 
mile 8lip off the west side of Franklin township. It is of irreg- 
ular shape, being six miles in length on the eastern side, with 
an average length of five miles and widtli of four and one-haJf 
miles. Elue Eiver forms the boundary for about three miles on 
the northwest. Its area is a little short of twenty-two squaro 
miles, or about 13,000 acres, wlucli is divided among 173 farms, 
giving an average of only about 75 acres each, the smallest av- 
erage in the county. 

Euck Creek, running in a soulliwest course, crosses the 
southeastern corner of the townsliip into Uush, where it makes 
a short turn and re-cuiers Henry county about the middle of 
the south line of the township and ];earing in a northwest 
course, nearly four miles, passes into Wayne township and falU 
into Blue Iliver at the old Ileaton or White Mills, furnishing 
more valuable water power, perhaps, than any other stream of 
its size in the county, notwitlistanding it is a very sluggisli 
stnnnn for six or seven miles, or at least one-half its len.gth. 
r>hie liiver, on the northwest, and the classic little stream 
ycleped Brook Bezor, which rises near the center of the town- 
ship and runs north two and one-half miles with an average 
dascent of about thirty feet to the mile, constitute the .only 
water courses of note in thetov^nsiup. 

Xotwithstauding the smallness of Si)iceland tov.nship in 
respect to area, it is by no means insigniticant in some otlier 
rcvspects, as it is the third in point of i^opulation in the county, 
and an average in point of wealtli, while its farm lands are as- 
sessed, for purposes of taxation, about twice as high as some 
other parts of the county, and more than five dollars higher 
upon the acre than the next higb.est in the county." This U 
doubtless owing in part to its division into smaller farms and 
consequent thorough tillage, but much is owing to tlie high 
average quality of tlie land for general farming purposes. 

The population of Spiceland township numbers 2,020, or 
about 92 per square mile; of these 334 were born in Xorth Car- 
(vlina,4r) in Virginia, 17 out of the United States, and G5 ara 
<fOiOi-ed persons. 



JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP. 33 

The first election was held at Ogdeii, August, 1842. A few 
years afterward, the poll was divided, and elections have bec^ii 
held both at Spieeland and Ogden ever since, Spieeland gener- 
ally giving the strongest poll for ten years past. 

The assessed value is, in fornix, $157,403; town lots, $05,370; 
personal, 290,310; total $819,040. 



J E F F E R S O N T O W N S II I P. 



This townslnp was organl/ed September 5, lS-13, out of tho 
spare territory of Fall Creek and Frairie. The eastern half of 
it is eight miles in length, while on the west line it is but six 
miles. It is ibur miles in vvldtli ami contains twenty-eight 
square miles, or nearly 18,000 acres, all passably good land, and 
much of it very tine farming land. Its principal stream is BeU 
Creek, which*, with its tributaries, traveix-s nearly the entire 
length of the township. Honey Creek is in the southwest, ;ind 
a branch or tributary of Buck Creek, in tlie northeast corner, 
carries into white Elver a portion of its surplus waters. Of the 
soil and general characteristics of the township we can sju-ak 
less from actual observation than of any other ecpial portion of 
t^le countj'. Sulphur Springs is tlie only village. 

The population of the township numb.ers 1,2:54, divided into 
230 families, 172 of whom live in tiie agricultural districts. 
Tiiere are 23 foreigners, 12 North Carolinians, and 160 Virgin- 
ians in the township. The average size of a farm in this town- 
ship is about 103 acres, and the population numbers al^out 40 to 
the square mile. 

The farms and improvements are valued, for the purpose of 
taxation, at $359,290 ; town lots, $IS,S J); {)jrsonal, $18'!,050 ; 
votal, $505,140. 

The elections were first ordered to be held at the house of 
Michael Swope, on the 2nd day of October, 1843, for the pur- 
pose of electing a Justice. 



^ IIEXRY COUKTT; PAST AND PRESENT. 



BLUE R I y E II T W N S II 1 P, 



The last orphan i/cd, and one of tlie smallest townships of the- 
f'oiinty, contains a ti-iflc more than twenty-two square miles. It 
was formed from the south half of Stony Creek township, by 
tlio act of the Commissioners^ on the ^'>th day of June, 1848. 

All elections were to be held at the house of "Philip Moor?^ 
or at the meeting house near his house.-' 

Blue Eiver township takes its name quite aptly from beinsj 
the source of both branches of the stream of that name, so inti- 
mately connected with the prosperity and history of our coun- 
ty. "Jiig- Blue," as it is often called, rises near the middle of the 
if^'estern portion of tlie township, and runs nearly north about 
three and one-half miles to within about one-half mile of Poo^- 
«;rsville, in Stony Creek township, where it bears to the west 
!ind is soon wending its way amid the prairies of Prairie town- 
shi]). The slashes or head waters of this branch of $he river are 
known in the G. "\V. Duke }iei<2:hl)orhood by the classic cogno- 
men of Goose Creek. The stream has a fall of perhaps twenty 
leet per mile for the first three and one-half or four miles, and^ 
although the volume of water is snnill, at' the ordinary stage,. 
Vu'Yc are two ])retty valuable mill seats on it befoi'C it reaches 
i'ralrie. "Little Blue" rises near the north line and nortlu^ast 
cor-rfier of the towiiship, and, running in a general soutliwest 
uirection into Prairie township, unites with the main branch 
nboHt two miles north of New Castle. On this branch of Blue- 
lliver are situated the nourishing woolen mills of Ice, Dunn & 
€<)., and the celebrated llernley ]\lills, as well as some of the- 
linest farms in the north part of the county. Flatrock also- 
rises in the northeastern portion of this township, and takes a 
southwesterly direction, while a small branch of Stonj' Cre^'k^. 
almost interlapping with "Little Blue," somehow finds its way 
through the "water shed" of this part of the county, and run§ 
liorth mto "White lUver,, near the western boundary of Pandolpb 



the: first courts. 35. 

eounty. From tho numbor of streaiiis findhifj: tlieir initial point 
iu the townsliip, and running in opposite directions, we e;i:iily 
reach the very correct conclu:jion tiiat some of tlic higiiest land.4. 
in the county are to be found here; but being the highest by na 
means signifies tlie djyest. Large portions of tlie townsliip re- 
quire drainage to make tliem available to the liusbandman, but 
Avhen so reclaimed are of the veiy best quality. 

This little towitship is cxcluisively rural, luiving neither vil- 
lage nor postoffice Avitliin its lii'aits, unless a lialf interest in the 
half dozen liouses known as Circleville is claimed as a village. 
The population numbers 8G1 — the smallest number of any of 
these civil divisio'^s of our county. Of its po])uIation 18 are- 
colored persons, 7 are foreigners, 25 are Virginians,' and 70 are- 
North Carolinian,--. 

The farms and improvements were valued, last year, at 
$269,250, and the personal property at $88,000; total, fp358,240; 
an average of about $2,250 per family at the assessed value, or 
less than one-half of tlie real value. 



T II E F I R S T CO U R T S 



The act of the Legislatui-e organizing the-coui»-ty provided' 
Ihat the "Circuit Court and all other courts shjiJl meet and bt^ 
holden at the house of Joseph Ilobson, until suitable accommo- 
dation can be had at the county seat." The- sauuie act,, however,, 
provided that the Circuit Court might, if in its wisdom it deemed 
it advisable, remove to some more suitable place.. 

COM.MISSIONEILS.' COURT. 

In accordance with these provi.-jions, the Commissioners' 
Court as.sembled at th<' hou.^e of Jo.-;«'ph Ilob.^^on (elsewhere 
mentioned as being on tlie Stephen Elliott farm), on the lOlh 
day of June, 1822, and we tind the following as the first record 
of an oflicUl cliaraeter ever ig,:ide in the countv of Ileurv :. 



36 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

'Vunc Terra for the year 1822. 

"At a mooting' of the Board of County 
rommissioners. in and for the county of Henry, State of Indiana, on 
M;)ndav, the 10th day of June, A. l).'l>S0-2, present Allan Shepherd and 
Samuel Goblc, Esqrs., who produced their resijective certificates and 
wore sworn into ofTiec by Jesse Heal y, Esq., Sheriff of the county afore- 
said, as is required by the Constitution and laws of this State." 

As tlie Commissioners meant business, their first act, after 
taking tlie oatli of ofiice, was tlie ai)]>ointment ot Ilene Julian 
Clerk of the Board, he hcin.o: the Clerk of the Circuit Court 
elect, and t!ie second order reads:* 

'•Ordered by the Hoard, tliat the Court adjourn until to-morrow morn- 
ing at ten o'clock. (Si;j:nad.) '' Ar, VN SnKPHF.nn, 

"SAJrUKL COBLI':." 

7-vIisha Sliortrldire, who was d«)u1)tless elected at the same 
time as Shepherd and Gohle, did not put in an appearance until 
the Juh^ term, when he "appeared and presented his credentials 
in due form," and now Goble was absent, from some cause not 
mentioned. From time to time th(; record sliows that the Board 
met at Tlobson's house, until the IMay term followiU'^, Avhen they, 
or it met at the house of Charles Jamison, in New Castle. The 
]>oard met in June, July, Au_ii:ust, and Xovcmber, and yet tiic 
F'^cords of their doin,i;-s till but eighteen small pa.o'es, while the 
proceedin<>:s of three terms are crowded into ci.ii-ht pages, each 
one of which was about four times as large as this page. The 
adopted court-house was a"second-hand cabin," which had been 
moved up from the bottom, west of town, and was, pei-liap^, 12 
by 10 or l(j by 18 feet s(|uarc, and without chinking or daubing. 

The second day of the first term seems to liave been a busy 
day, as Wm. Shannon, Dil win Bales, and Al)raham lleaton were 
appointed Superintendents of several school sections. Shannon 
was also made Treasurer and John Dorraii Taster of the county, 
a poll tax of twenty-live cents was levied for county purpose^, 
and Dudley, W^ayne, Henry and Pralrii^ townships were created, 
and elections were ord(M-e.d to be held in each. Ins'peetors were 
appointed for each, after which the Board adjourned "until tho 
first ^[onday in July next."" 

Tlie act of the T.egi.slature organizing the county provided 
fer the appo^nlmcnt of an Agent for the county, avIio was to 



THK FIRST COURTS, 37 

rrocivc donations of grounds made for tlie purpose of ii countj 
^<\it, buildings, &c. Tlie July term was called for the jjurpos^ 
of a])pointing such Agent, and "the lot fell upon*' Ezekiel 
I/^;avell, who was duly chai-ged with tliedut}' of superintending 
the sale of town lots in the New Castle that was to be, the mak- 
ing of deeds, and, in addition, when a court-house, a jail, or a 
stray pen was to be constructed, the Agent was oi'dered to"ofler 
for sale to the lowest bidder, in the town of New Cattle, the 
building of the court-house of Henry county," or the erecting 
of a "pound, commonl}^ called a stray pen,"' or the "jail of llen- 
ry county," as the case might be. 

The Commissioners' Couit was a very important institution 
in early times. Treasurers, Collectors, Listers, Constable.*, 
J*ound-keep2rs, Supervisors, Eoad-viewers, County Agent*, 
Township Agents, Superintendents of school scctioiis, School 
C<)mrals3ioners, County Surveyors, Inspectors, etc., were all the 
creatures of this body. ]t not only was the keeper of the ])ul>- 
iic funds, levied or remitted tiie taxes, made the allowances of 
tiie other oilicers, but granted permits to "keep tavern," "keep 
store,"' "keep grocery,'' or "peddle clocks," and with equal facil- 
ity llxcd the price of "liquors, lodgings, horse feed, and stablage."' 
The early Commissioner seemed equally at home, whetlier al- 
lowing the Treasurer llfteen dollars for liis annual services, or 
regulating the cost of a half pint of whisky, quart of cider or 
'^gallon of oats or corn.*' 

nOAKD ov justicj:s. 

On the 31st of January, 1821, the Legislature enacted that 
the Justices of the Peace for the several counties should con- 
stitute a "Board of Justices" for the transaction of "county busi- 
ness," with all the powei's and duties heretofore exercised hr 
the Commissioners. It was made the duty of "each and every 
Justice in the several townships to meet" at the seat of Justice 
on the first Monday in September following, "and then and 
tliere to organize themselves into a County Board of Justice?, 
by electing one of their body President," ttc, "and to meet on 
tiie first Monday of January, ]\[arch, May, July, September, and 
^'ovember, in each and every year,'" at such time, unlesa ihj>i 



:33 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRtSEXT. 

•Circuit Court liappencd to be in session on that day, in which 
«asc thej-- were to meet on the Monday after its adjournments 
Any tliree of these Justices were competent to transact busi- 
ness, except at the May and Xovember terms, when it sliould 
require at least five mcml)ers, ;ind a less number tban a quorum 
could meet from day to day and compel the attendance of 
•others. 

It was made tlic dr.ty of the Justices *'to be punctual in 
their attendance at tlrcir Jamiary, May, and Xovember sessions* 
and for every failure tliei-eof, without a reasonable excuse> 
^'such Justice might bic indicted or lined not to exceed twenty 
dollars." 

The Clerk of the Cii'cuit Court was required to attend on 
the sittings of the Board r.nd write up its proceedings. The at- 
tendance of the Shci-ifT", in person or by deputy, was required,, 
and it was made the duty of such olficer to execute the decrees 
of said Board. 

On the 2Gth day of January, 1827, tlie B^ard of Justices 
was abolished, and the Board of Conmilssioners revived in the 
county of Henry and nine otlier counties lying in the central 
part of the State. This new arrangement to-ok effect on the first 
day of August of the same year. 

CIRCUIT COURT. 

The first term of tlic Circuit Court was held September 30, 

1822, by Thomas R. Stnnford and Elisha T.ong, Esqrs., Associate. 

Justices, Miles Eggleston, Presiding Judge of the Circuit Coun-, 

not being present. The coui-t assembled, as the law directed, at 

the house of Mr. Tlobson, but availed itself of the privilege of 

fiecuring better quarters at once, by adopting Charles Jamison's 

log cabin as the court-house, as the following extract from the 

tirst record will show : 

"At a Henry (.'ounty Circuit Court, begun at the liouse of Joseph 
ITobriou, agreeable to an act of the Lcgis-lati{r<e of the State of In(iiau;^ 
passed on the olst day of December, in the year of our Lord, one thous- 
and eight hundred and twenty-one, and adjourned to the house of Charles 
Jamison, in the county afoiesaid, on Monday, the ;59th day 6f Septen\ber» 
4u tlie year of our Ijord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-two." 

With the exception of the i-ccording of the official bond of 



THE FIRST COURTS. 39 

Mr. Rene Julian-, Clerk, on a fly-leaf of the docket, this is th« 
first entry ever made by the Circuit Court of Henry county. 
After tlic paragraph above recited, is found recorded a copy of 
the commissions of Judges Stanford an.d I.ong, bearing date of 
July 5, 1822,-in \vhich His Excellen<'y Governor Jonathan Jen- 
nings sends greeting to all men and "tlic rest of mankind" that 
he lias commissioned the aforesaid T. R. Stanford and the alore- 
eaid Elisha Long Associate Judges^ : 

"For the county of Henry for and during the term of seven years, and 
until his successors be appointed and qualiflcd should he so lung behave 
well." 

On the back of each commission seems to have been the 

folloAving endorsement by the Sherifl': 

"Be it remembered that, on the Tth day ef August A. I). 1^22, person- 
ally came the within commissioned, Thos. R. Stanford (or Elislia Long'-, 
and took the oath against dueling, tlie oath to support the Constitution of 
the United States, the oath to support the Constitution of tliis State, and 
also the oath of oilicc as an Associate Judge of the Henry Circuit Court. 
In witness whereof I have liereunto set my hand and seal, this 7th day of 
August, 1822 Jkssk H. Hkaly, Sheriff of Henry County." 

The credentials of tiie two Judges, of the Sheriff and Clerk 
being duly disposed of, Jesse H. Healy 

"Returned into this court the writ of venire facias heretofore issued oufc 
out of this court, with the following panel to serve as Grand Jurors, the 
present term, to-wit: Daniel Heaton, whom the court appoints as fore- 
man, Josepli Wats, Ezekiel Leavell, Absalom Harvey, Wm. J3ell, David 
Baily, John Raker, Jesse Cox, Samuel Dill, John Dougherty, Jacob Park* 
hurst, Richard Parsons, Wm. Riden, Dempsey Itees, and David Thomp- 
son, good and lawful men, and householders ef the county of Henry, who» 
being duly sworn and by the court charged, retired to their room to de- 
liberate." 

Of this first Grand Jury, consisting of fifteen memljcrs, we 
believe Dempsey Rees is the only living representative. Tlie 
room to whicli they "retired to deliberate" was a convenient log 
heap hard by. Lot Bloomfield, producing a licence signed by 
the presiding Judge, was permitted to practice in the court, upon 
taking the necessary oath. He was also made Prosecuting At- 
torney for "this and the succeeding term of this court and un- 
til a successor be appointed." 

The next entry sliows that Andrew Shannon so far forgot 
the dignity and solemnity of the occasion as to "swear two pro- 
fane oaths in the presence of the court," for which he wa« 



40 HEXRY COUNTY; TAST AXI> PKESENT. 

jiromptl y niicd two dolhu-s, unci the Clerk ordered to issne an 
execution for tlie same. 

On the next day the court ordered that the "permanent r-eal 
of Henry county sliall be engnived on brass, with a vignette of 
nn eagle and stars equal to the numbei' of States in the Union," 
the size to be about that of a dollar, and around the margin "the 
%vord?, Henry CircnU L'lmriy An ''ink scrawl, with the words 
Jic-nry county inserted therein," Avas to be the temporary &ea.l. 

On the second day of the term Henry Burlanan came into 
court, and, being duly sworn, declared his intention of becom- 
ing a hona Me citizen of the United States, and that he "abjures 
all aljegiancc to all foreign pi-lnces and potentates whatevcT, 
and particularly to George Fourth, King of Great Britain and 
Ireland and Prince of Wales.'' 

The Grand Jury then returned into court with the result of 
their deliberations, which consisted of four bills of indictment 
for assault and battery, to-Avit : one against Solomon JUrkett, 
two against Samuel Eedson, and one against Peter Smith. Bed- 
son then appeared at "tlie bar of the court" and acknowledged 
himself guilty as charged in the indictment, and, dispensing 
with a ju)-y, tiirew himself upon the mercy of the court "which 
alter due deliberation being had therein," "it was considered by 
the court that he make his ilne to the State in the sum of one 
dollar" and stand committed till the same be paid. The Judges 
tlien allowed themselves four dollars each, and the Prosecutor 
five dollars, and adjourned till March following; and thus endcnl 
the first term of the Circuit Court of Henry county. 

At the :March term, Bloomfleld failed to put in an appear- 
ance, and James Gilmore, a resident attorney, was ai)pointed to 
prosecute "the pleas of the State." 

'i'he following panel of Grand Jurors were selected for tbia 
torm : 

Wm. McKinimv, foreman, Solomon Byrkett, Abijah Cain, Jacob El* 
JioU, Moses 1-ink, (iooifcc llimby, Daniel .lackso-n, John K. Niitt, Allen 
Hunt, .Shaplu't Mc<;ruy, W'm. Morris, Thomas liay and Asiihel W'oodard, 

Of course all "good und lawful men," although Solomon Byr- 
kelt was then under indictment for an unlawful act, and waa. 



THE FIRST COURTS. 41 

on the same day, brought to the bar of the court, and, to use 
the quaint language of the record, 

♦qt being forthwith aemanded of him how he will acquit himself of tl-c 
charges set forth in the indictment, for plea says he is not guilty as ne 
stands indicted, and for trial thereof puts himself upon the country, and 
the said James Gilmore, Prosecutor aforesaid, doth thehke; and there- 
upon came a jury, to-wit: Wm. Shannon, Nathan Pearson, James Ro/ell, 
Samuel Bedson, Cristopher liundy. Minor Fox, Jacob Richey, Hugh 
McDaniel, Wm. Row (or Roe), John Blunt, Josiah Clawson, and Jacob 
Witter," 

and thus was formed the first Traverse Jury of Henry County, 
M irch 31st, 182.3, and of the number there is probably not one 
alive to-day. 

Byrkett was acquitted, and the court ordered "that he go 
thereof hence without day." 

There was but one civil action tried, during this term, but 
the Grand Jury returned into court, on the second day, seven 
indictments : one against the owner of the court-house, for sell- 
ing liquor without license; one against Wesley Prior, Eli Ellis, 
and Charles See, "for rout;" one each against Commissioneis 
Elisha Shortridge and Allan Shepherd, for "extortion ;" and 
three cases of assault and battery. The cases for extortion, 
perhaps, were what would, at this day, be termed taking usur- 
ious interest. At least there seems to have been no further no- 
tice taken of the matter, the order book not indicating that they 
were dismissed, quashed, continued or tried. 

At this distant day, it will seem a little strange thfit 
the best or foremast men of the times should be found 
among the law-breakers and among the first "hauled over the 
coals" for it. 

This March term of the court fixed a scale of prices for the 
Clerk to be govered by in taking bail of those charged with of- 
fences, as follows : For assault and battery, $100 ; for routs, 
$50; for extortion, .$100; selling spirituous liquor without 
license, $20; and subsequently it further instructed that for in- 
dictments for perjury the bail should be $300 ; for violations of 
the"Estray act," $100; for affray, $50; and for robbery on the 
public highway, the sum of $100. From all of which it would 
seem that selling liquor without license was a mere peccadillo, 

5 



42 HENRY COqXTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

thiit perjury was quite a grave offence, and that for two, three, 
or four men to engage in a nice little "."Jet to" would require only 
half the hail dem m LmI of on3 m m who attacked another with- 
out first ohtaining his const nt, and it will also he noticed that 
assault and battery w;is placed on a par with highway robbery. 

At the March term, the Grand Jury, thirteen in number, 
were allowed $19 50 lor their services, and the Prosecutor $8 for 
pro;<ecuting the pleas of the State and drawing up the seven in- 
dictments and such other services as he could render, and wa« 
continued for the next term and until a successor should be ap- 
pointed, although not at the time a licensed attorney, and the 
court adjourned, altera three days' session, without disposing of 
a single case, except the trial of one of the Grand Jurors here- 
tofore alluded to. It was probably owing to the fact that noth- 
ing had been com|)leted that the Judges only allowed them- 
selves $3 for their services. 

A special session was called, on the 28th day of April, 1823 
(in accordance with an act of the General Assembly of 1822, 
concerning vagrants*), on account of a charge of vagrancy 
against a citizen of Henry county. The following pmel of six- 
teen Grand Jurors, "good and lawful men," were selected to 
consider whether the person so charged with vagrancy was 

*Every person who shall be suspected to get his livelihoorl by gaming, 
and every abl« bo lied person, w'lo i'. found loiterin-? and wandering 
about and not liaving wherewithal to maintain himself by some visible 
property, and who dolli not betake himself to labour or some honest call- 
ing to pro>Mire a livelihood, and all persons who quit their habitation and 
letve their wives and ihildren without suitable means of subsi>ten(e, 
whereby they suffer or may become charjjeable to the county, and all 
otlier idle, vagrant, dissolute persons, rambling about without any visi- 
ble means of subsistence, shall be deemed and considered as vagrants.—- 
[ Revised Laws, 1824, p ige 4*-?!.] 

Such person was to give bond in the sum of $50, or be committed to 
jail, till the meeting of the Circuit Court, and if found to be a vagrant 
within the meaning of the law, he was, if a minor, to be "bound out," 
until twenty-one years of age. to some useful trade or o.-cupation, and if 
o er twenty -one years of age, he was to be hired out by the Sheriff for 
auv time not exceeding nine months. The money received for his hiie 
was to be applied to the payment of his de))ts, and the balance to lie ffiv- 
en to him at the expiration of his time, provided, however, that, if he hid 
a wife and children, the surplus went to them, and he might also avoid 
b ?ing hired out by giving security that he would return to his family and 
loUovv some useful occupation. 



THE FIRST COURTS. 43 

such "within the meaning of the law." 

•TohM Dorrah, foremau,(Jharle!L Jamison, James Stanford, Samiiel Dill, 
Asahel Wood;ird, Wm. McDowell, Obadiah K. Weaver, Moses Fink, Sr., 
Allan Shepherd, Cristopher Bundy, (ieorgeHauby, Thomas Walkins, Wra. 
liunday, Joshua Welborn, Andrew Shannon, Moses AUis. 

Of this jury of "lawful men" two only were under indict- 
ment at the tiuie for violating the laws of the land. Twelve of 
the sixteen have pa.^sed from works to rewards. James Stan- 
ford, Asahel Woodard, Wm. McDowell, and Joshua VVelboiu 
are still alive, and reside in the county. 

The principal expenses for this term of court were: Six- 
teen Grand Jurors, $12;; bailiff, 75 cents; Prosecutor, $2; two 
Judges, $1; total, $18 75. 

Jamison, for selling liquor without license, was tried at the 
next term of the court, found guilty, and fined three dollars, 
which was just what he charged the court for the use of the 
cabin as a court room. As he was afterward granted license to 
sell liquors, it is evident that the offence consisted not so much 
in the sale of the liquor, as in having neglected to replenish the 
almost empty treasury with the live dollars, \\hich wjis levied 
sole!}' for purposes of revenue, and not in anywise intended to 
restrict the traffic. 

The August term of the Circuit Court was held by the As- 
sociate Judges, Hon. Miles Eggleston, Presiding Judge, not, as 
yet, having deigned to visit our county. 

To call to the minds of some of the older citizens men onre 
famili;ir to them, the names of the Grand Jury are given also : 
John Dorrah, foreman, as usual, Levi Butler, F^beuezer (ioble, Thom- 
as Leonard, Thomas Watkins, John Blunt, Gpo^s:c Hobson. Jam^s 
McKimray, Itobert Smith, Allen Hunt, Jesse Cox, John Marshall, Nati a i 
Davis, and Josiah Morris. 

Josiah Morris and R. Smith are the only representatives 
of this jury. After a three days" session, the jury returned into 
court two indictments for assault and battery, three for affray, 
one for violation of the estray law, one for robbery, and one for 
p3ijury. In the five years immediately succeeding the organi- 
zation of the county, ninety-one "true bills" were found for 
various offences "against the pyacc and dignity" of the State of 
Indiana. Something of the nature of the ills to which .society 



Larceny 2 

Lewdness 1 

Violating Eslray Law 1 

Selling without License 1 

Olstructiug Process 1 

Negligence in Oflice 1 

Total 91 



44 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

wa« subjected at that early clay will be seen from the character 

of these presentments as follows, to-wit : 

Assault and battery 44 

Affray 24 

Rout 1 

Rape.. 4 

Gaming 5 

Extortion 2 

Robbery 1 

Vagrancy 1 

Perjury.. 2 

W^hat would our citizens think to-day of having four-fifths 
of the time of our courts taken up with the adjustment of per- 
sonal encounters between our citizens. The "fistic" proclivities 
of our citizens are, without doubt, very much improved in forty 
years. 

Hon. Miles C. Eggleston, the President Judge for the Fifth 
Circuit put in an appearance for the first time November 17, 
1823, this being the fifth session since the county was organized. 
The following order appears on the docket for that daj-^ : 

"On motion, it is ordered that it be suggested on the records of this 
court that Reuben Ball, the plaintiff in this cause, is deceased, since the 
last term of this court." 

And, we suppose, the suggestion w^as made accordingly. 
The next cause was "continued till the next term of court, and 
the court take time until then to consider of the law arising in 
said case." 

The next order was that all indictments found by the Grand 
Jury, at the August term, be quashed, and the defendants in 
said indictments be thereof quit and discharged, &c.* To this 
his autograph is appended — the only time it occurs on the order 
book. 

It would seem that W. W. Wick was made Judge of the 
Circuit, in 1824, but, being elected Secretary of State. Governor 
Hendricks appointed Bethuel F. Morris President Judge, "in 
the room" of said Wick. 

*The reason for this seems to have been that the Legislature had 
changed the time of holding courts for this circuit, of which change our 
home .Judges had not been apprised, and so went on with the August 
term as usual. The indictments were all quashed, but seem to have been 
immediately revived by the jury then in session. 



FIRST ATTORNEYS. 45 

In October, 1825, John Anderson succeeded Thomas K. 
Stanford as Judge. 

While Anderson was on the bench, there was an appeal 
case came up before him and his associate, in which he was de- 
fendant, and it is noticeable that the defendant gained the case 
and his costs off tf.e plaintiff, and then allowed himself two 
dollars for extra services at that session. It is not to be inferred 
from this that justice was not done, for the Judge soon brought 
suit in his own court, as Paymaster of the Indiana Militia, 
against Sheriff Healy, for failure to collect the muster lines off 
the conscientious people of the county, and, after continuing 
the case from day to day and term to term, he was finally beat- 
en, Bethuel Morris, perhaps, presiding when the decision was 

Soon after this, one Jacob Tharp filed an infoi:mation in 
court to the effect that the said Judge Anderson was an alien, 
and therefore not competent to fill the position occupied. A 
rule was granted against the Judge to show why he should not 
be ousted from his seat. This he must have done to the satisfac- 
tion of the court, as he continued to hold on to his position, and 
at a subsequent term he obtained judgment for costs against 
Tharp, Anderson and his associate apparently deciding the case. 
So much for early courts and manner of doing business. 

It cannot be doubted that the ends of justice were quite as 
faithfully subserved in that day as at present, and that it was 
generally quite as speedily meted out, notwithstanding the 
quaintness of style and rather "hifalutin" ring of some of the 
proceedings. 



FIRST ATTORNEYS. 

It has already been mentioned that Lot Bloomfield, Esq., 
was "sworn in" as the first Prosecutor of "the pleas of the 
State" for the Henry Circuit. There were but four indictments 



46 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT 

found, all for assault and battery, and, as one of the culprits "lit 
out,*' another wa^ fouiid not guilt}-, and still another plead 
guilt}'^ and was only fined one dollar for two offences, the Pros- 
ecutor, doubtless, felt that his luck was none of the best. It is 
said that information was lodged with the jury that some gnioe- 
less scamp had been guilty of larceny, but, just ])efon' tlie find- 
ing or returning of a bill, the foreman learned that he had left 
the county; so it was concluded that it would be a waste of 
ammunition to finish proceedings against him, and they at once 
dropped the case. This did not suit the Attorney, who 
grambled considerably, and called the attenli^n.of the jury 
to the fact that it cost much labor to draw up the papers in each 
case, and showed them that he was at gi-eat expense in traveling 
to and from court for board, &c., &i\ The court made him the 
very liberal allowance of five dollars, which was one dollar 
more than their honors received, but it does not seem to have 
been satisfactory, as he came no more, although appointed for 
more than one term. 

James Gilmore, afterward a Justice of the Peace, and not 
yet a full fledged attorney, was appointed in Bloom field's place 
the next term. 

James Noble, James Raridan, and Abraham Elliott, father 
of Judge Elliott, were admitted to practice in this first court. 

At the August term, 1823, Chailes Test, Esq., and Martin 
M. Ray were admitted as attorneys and counsellors at law, ''and 
thereupon took the oiih of ofiUe." 

At the April term, 1824, Jame-s B. Rny, James Mondall,Cal> 
vin Fletcher, Oliver H. Smith, and Philip Sweetser were admit- 
ted to practice. 

At the April term, 1825, Tlarvey Gregg, Esq., appeared 
with a regular commission as Prosecuring Attorney for the 
Fifth Judicial Circuit, Henry county had previously been in fi e 
Third Circuit. At this term Abraham Elliott was appoint* d 
Master of Chancery, whatever that may be, and Moses Cox was 
admitted to the bar. 

In October of the same year, Calvin Fletcher presented his. 
credentials as Prosecutor for the Circuit. 



FIRST ATTORNEY?. 47 

At the October term, 182G, James Whitcomb appeared with 
cr.^dentials as Prosecutor for the Circuit, aud Septimus Smith 
and Albert U. White were admitted as attorneys. 

In 1827, Sanniel C. Sample, appeared as a licensed attorney 
and "took the o.ith" as "counsellor at law at the bar of the 
court." 

In I82S, on motion of Charles II. Test, Marinas Willitt and 
David Fatton were admitted. 

At the October term, 1828, on motion of S. C. Sample, Wm. 
Daily and Caleb B. Smith, having procUiced license signed by 
"two President Judges of the State of Indiana,"' were admitted 
to practice in the Henry Circuit Court, and, on motion of James 
llaridan, E^q., Jolm S. Newnnin was in like manner admitted. 

In 1821), W. W. ^Vick, Prosecuting Attorney, and James T. 
Brown were admitted to tlie bar. 

In 1830, James Perry was Prosecutor of the pleas of the 
State. 

From the foregoing list it will be seen that the early prac- 
titioners at the Henry county bar included many of the orna- 
nicnts of the legal profession of our State. At a later day, came 
Parker, Tulian, Morton, and others scarcely less noted, to say noth- 
ing of resident attorneys, ot whom a number have won a name 
abroad. Among those who were quite frequent in their atten(> 
ance upon our earlier courts were quite a ntnnber who have dis- 
tinguished themselves as orators, m-jmbers of Congress, Govern- 
ors of our State, and eminent jurists. >Vith such examples 
before us as the Rays, Whitcomb, the two Smiths, Test, Parker, 
Jalian, Morton, and others, one is liable to indulge the reflection 
that the Henry county bar was nure ably served in early times 
at present. 

It should be borne in mind, however, that the tendency of 
a general difinsion of knowledge is to lessen the diflerence be- 
tween men, growing out of tlieir acquirements, and he who 
may have seemed aluiost a prodigy of learniug forty years ago 
might not to-day pass for much more than an ordinary person. 
Great talents and great learning will, doubtless, be treated with 
much consideration for all time to come, but the time has long 



48 HENKY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

passed when any man can wield such influence over his fellows as 
did Demosthenes. It is undoubtedly true that greater attain- 
ments are expected in many of the stations in lite than former- 
ly, and the legal profession is no exception. 

So, when a friend of ours remarked that the Tests, Raridans, 
Smiths, Whitcombs, &c., who graced the early bar of this county 
"were all well enough in their day," but could not "hold a candle" 
to the present corps of attorneys, we were disposed to attach 
some weight to his opinions. 



COUNTY BUILDINGS. 



The act providing for the organization of the county made 
it the duty of the Commissioners to provide for the erection of 
suitable county buildings , within one year after their election. 

THE FIRST COURT-HOUSE. 

In obedience to this provision, the Commissioners, in Feb- 
ruary, 1823, ordered that 

"The Agent of Henry County shall offer for sale to the lowest bidder 
in the town of New Castle, the building of the court-house of Henry 
county, of tlie following dimensions, to-wit: being logs twenty-two by 
eighteen feet, each log to face not less than twelve inches at the little end, 
being seven inches thick, twelve rounds high, with a cabin roof, to con- 
sist of eleven joists, to be four inches by nine, the joists to be eight feet 
nine inches from the floor, &c., &c." 

The sills of this imposing structure were to be of durable 
timber, one foot from the ground, with a good rock or stone 
under each corner, a puncheon floor below, and plank floor 
above, with two windows above and three below, consisting of 
twelve lights each ; and they further instructed that the 

"Sale of the above described building be on the Wednesday after the 
second Monday in May next, with a good door three feet m ide, six feet 
six inches high." 

At the May term following, the Board rescinded the above 
order, and at once substituted another witli further and more 
"workmanlike" specifications. In these specifications, the side 



COUNTY BUILDINGS. 49 

logs were to be twenty-six feet long, and end logs twenty feot, 
while they were to face at least twelve inches in the middle, 
and sills a^d sleepers to be of good durable timber, and to be 
placed on six suitable sized stones, the floor to be of puncheon* 
hewed smooth and solid, and the lower story to be at least nine 
feet between joists. The second floor to be of plank, and the 
second story was to be at least five feet from the floor to the top 
of the last round of logs, "or square." There were also to be 
two doors so cut as to make the center of the door "nine feet 
from the end of the building" (which end is not specified), but 
they were to be "So hanged as to open oh that end of the house 
intended for spectat®rs," and they w«re to be hanged on strong 
iron hinges, with a "good lock on what may be considered the 
front door," and a bar so as to faiten the other. Thig time tlierc 
were to be two fifteen-light windows, and a strong partition of 
bannisters, at least four feet high, to separate the court fromtlie 
spectators, with a strong gate in it, fastening: on the inside, and 
the second floor was to be reached by a "good strong set of 
straight steps, commonly called mill steps." The building wa« 
to be "well cliinked and daubed and covered with good oak 
boards confined with sufficient weight poles." 

The order for letting the court-house provides tUat it be 
"advertised in three of the most public places in the county, 
and in the Western Times, a paper published in Centreville, 
Wayne county, Indiana," and it was, in "height, materials and 
construction, to be similar to the court-house in Connersville, 
Fayette county, Indiana." 

The said building was ordered to be placed on the southeast 
corner of l#t four, block twelve, which was a little southwest of 
the present site. So soon as the building was covered, the con- 
tractor was to receive twenty dollars of the "purchase mon«y," 
and it was also stipulated that it was to be completed before the 
second Monday in February. 

Accordimg to arrangement, the Agent did "seZ? the court- 
house," on the 14th of May, 1823, to George Barnard, for $247^ 
and in May following the Commissioners adjourned from the 
house of John Smith to the new court-house, which they for- 

6 



I 
50 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

mally accepted, as it was done according to contract. Once es- 
tablished in a building adequate to the wants and fully com- 
porting with the dignity and wealth of our flourishing county 
— one that cost them a sum about equal to the tax duplicate for 
three years, it cannot be doubted but the Commissioners felt im- 
measurable relief. Doubtless the tax-payers grumbed at the ex- 
travagance of those fellows who could thus squander $247, and 
they were soon rewarded by being permitted to retire to the rest 
and quietude of private life. 

. The jail, court-house, and stray pen, or pound, being com- 
pleted, a "long spasm of retrenchment and economy" occurred, 
until the county, fast becoming rich, began to grow proud, and, 
in 1831, ordered the building of a 

SECOND COURT-HOUSE, 

Which was to be "forty feet square, walls included," the foun- 
dation "to be dug eighteen inches beneath the surface of the 
ground, the walls to be two feet thick from the foundation three 
feet up," the lower story to be fifteen feet high, and the upper 
story to be twelve. 

This time, instead of a "cabin roof" sufficiently weighted 
down with poles, it was to have one of good yellow poplar 
"join shingles," eighteen inches in length, "to be pitched from 
each square to the center," the whole to be surmounted with an 
eight square cupola, eight feet in diameter, to "arise" twenty 
feet, eight feet of the distance to be enclosed with "Venecian 
blinds,'* and said cupola to be surmounted by a suitable cap from 
which was to be raised a spear bearing a wooden ball, ten inch- 
es in diameter, "nicely gilt," and still above this a neat vane, 
and higher yet "a cross with a gilt ball on each end," and the 
whole surmounted with a "neat cap" on top of the spear. 

Let the reader picture to himself the transition from the 
little cramped up, cabin roofed, puncheon floored, chinked and 
daubed, poorly lighted, hewed log concern, standing high and 
dry upon six "nigger heads," and an outside chimney, to this 
spacious brick, with twenty-three windows of twenty-four 
lights each, and a large folding door and "fan light" above, with 
foundations hidden awav the enormous distance of eighteen 



COCKTY BUILDINGS. 51 

inches under ground, and the whole surmounted with a cupola, 
which, for architectural design and finish, must have been the 
wonder of the age, and he cannot but be struck with the amaz- 
ing Strides in the paths of luxury taken by our forefaj;hers. 
We are amazed at the old fellows, not one in twenty of whom 
had anything better than a cabin at home, to be willing to un- 
dertake the erection of a "temple of justice" of sucli propor- 
tions and at such an enormous cost, as it seemed at that time, 
as there were but seventy-five dollars and three-fourths of a cent 
in the treasury to commence on. 

The building was nevertheless sold to one Nathan Craw- 
ford, in the latter part of the year 1831, "he being the lowest 
bidder," for the sum of $5,315, to be paid on the 1st of January 
each year, for five years as follows: in 1832, $400; in $1833, 
$700; in 1834, $1,000; in 1835, $1,200; in 1836, the balance. The 
walls were to be up and covered and all outside wood work was 
to be completed by January 1, 1834, and two years to be allow- 
ed for finishing off the costly interior. In short, it was expect- 
ed that the contractor would "push things," and spend some- 
think like a thousand dollars a year. Robert Murphey was 
allowed $2 50 for furnishing the design of this elaborate struc- 
ture. About nine o'clock, on Thursday morning, January 7, 
1836, comes the said Nathan Crawford, and moves the Commis- 
sioners, Robert Murphey, Tabor W. McKee, and John Whitta- 
ker to take the job off his hands; which they promptly decline 
to do, and declared that they had examined the "said court- 
house" and "are of the opinion" that it is deficient in almost 
every particular, that the "roof leaks," plastering is not neatly 
done; and carpenter work ditto, and that the "contract is for- 
feited in toto, and the materials out of which said house is 
constructed are, in a great many cases, deficient." 

This was "rough" on the said Crawford, but he had to 
bear it till the March term, when a compromise was effected, 
and the building was received at $4,500, which was docking him 

$815 only. 

The first court-house, though so soon rejected, was certain- 
ly in good plight, and to-day, after the lapse of more than a 



52 HENRY COUNTY; PAST ANT) PRESENT. 

third of a century, a portion of it is doing good services as a pig 
sty on the premises of M. L. PoMell, Esq. The second or brick 
building was destroyed by fire, about the time of the assem- 
bling pf a county convention, on the 13th day of February, 
3864, 

THE FIRST JAIL. 

At the February term, 1823, the Commissioners also ordered 

the sale of "the jail of Henry county," which, they specify, shall 

be 

"Of the dimensions fourteen feet square, seven feetbetween the floors, 
the logs to be square ten inches, to be dovetailed at each corner and pin- 
ned; upper and lower floor to consist of logs squared of the same di- 
mensions, the upper floor each log to be pinned down with one inch and 
one-half auger, one round of logs above the upper floor fit down, the door 
to be three feet wide, the shutter to be made of two inch oak plau^ 
doubled, and be well spiked and hung with good and suflicient hinges to 
open outside with a good and sufficient bar with staples and lock, a cabin 
roof, the lower floor to be laid on two oak sills, and the house to be built 
on the top thereof, one window one foot square with four inch square bars 
of iron to be sufficiently let in." 

This was not a very imposing structure to a man outside, 
but once shut in, say in Julj' or August, especially if there were 
several of the "four inch square" iron bars across the one win- 
dow (a foot square), all efforts to escape must have soon become 
quite feeble. The reader of these specifications (MOiich were 
doubtless clear enough to the Commissioners,) may be a little 
puzzled to determine whether "the house to be built on the top 
thereof" w-as to be placed on the lower floor, or whether the 
house was to have a second story intended for a jailer's residence 
or some such purpose. 

It was subsequently ordered that the jail should be com- 
pleted before the second Monday in August, and that the Clerk 
should issue a county order t© the builder for twenty dollars so 
soon as the building shall be "erected to the height of four 
rounds." 

Obediah R. Weaver, being the lowest bidder, undertook 
"the faithful performance" of the contract for $120. 

Although this building was to have been completed in Au- 
gust, 1823, we find that, in May, 1824, the Board refused to re- 
ceive it, "inasmuch as it is considered that the same has not 



COUNTY BUILDmGS. 53 

been executed aceording to contract/' The building was sub- 
sequently received of Mr. Weaver, and forty-five dollars paid in 
full for the work ; twenty dollars having been previously ad^ 
vanced, when the structure was but "four rounds high." 

This jail was soon found to be inadequate, and the growing 
wants ot the times induced the Commissioners to order the 
"selling'' of 

THE SECOND JAIL, 

Which was also to be built of timber. It was really to be an 
extension of the old one, the door of which was to be taken 
away and the space filled with logs. The addition was te be 
built adjoining the old part, leaving only eight inches between, 
which was afterward to be filled with timber. The new part 
was to have one window like the old one, one foot square, and 
when carried up to the height of the old one, a second story was 
to be built on, of logs, extending over both, and to be entered 
from one end by a "strong stairway," and the only entrance to 
the lower story was to be through a strong trap door, two feet 
square, "to be made secure with a strong bar of iron and good 
and sufficient lock," &c. Once let down into one of these 
"black holes," the most hardened desperado could dismiss all 
fears of "the dogs biting him" so long as his incarceration con- 
tinued. 

On the 7th of January, 1830, Moses Brown, Esq., under- 
took the reconstruction of said jail, for the sum of $97 50, which 
was certainly cheap enough even in those days. 

Tlie rule that all things earthly must pass away seems to 
have made no exceptions in favor of Henry county jaUs. In less 
than five years from the completion of the second jail or "goal," 
the Conmiissioners ordered a third to be advertised and erected. 
This time the external walls were to be of brick. The founda- 
tion was to be set in the ground two feet, and to be twenty- 
eight inches in thickness. Above, the wall was to be thirteen 
inches thick, and eighteen feet by twenty-five in dimensions, 
and two stories in height. The floor of the prisons or "dun- 
geons" were to be of good oak timber ten inches thick, and, on 
top of this a floof of good oak plank one and one-half inches, 



54 HEKRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

thick. Just inside the brick walls and on top of the floor, was 
to be "built a log wall" of "hewn timber, ten inches square, to 
be laid down half dovetailed," and seven feet high. And this 
was to be lined with one and one-half inch beech plank, and 
"cross lined" and well spiked on with "cut spikes, six inches in 
length" and not to exceed three inches distant. The wooden 
walls were to be continued so as to make two tiers of dungeons, 
but the upper ones were not required to be so well lined, or 
otherwise made so strong. The ujDper story was, doubtless, in- 
tended for the more corrigible class of ctilprits, while the more 
hardened sinners were to be "sent below." 

The dungeons in the lower story were to be ready for occu- 
pants by the third Monday of October, and the whole structure 
by the first Monday in May, 1836. 

"At a sale held at the court-house," to "sell the building of 
the goal," Miles Murphey, jr., "bid off the same for $1,100," $500 
to be paid January 1, 1836, and the residue in one year. This 
work was done according to contract, and the structure, with 
little amendment, stood the racket for about thirty years, and 
until torn down to make room for the splendid edifice now 
decorating the public square. 

STRAY PEN. 

A stray pen or pound, in early days, was considered an in- 
dispensable appurtenance of every '"well regulated" county. 
Stock was much more given to straying, no doubt, in early 
times than at present. The love of home, or faculty of inhabi- 
tiveness, was probably not so well developed then as now, while 
the powers of locomotion were generally much better, especially 
with the porkers. The time and money lost in looking up lost 
stock in this or any other new county, thirty or forty years ago, 
notwithstanding the comparatively small amount kept, was 
much larger then at present, and, doubtless, led the assembled 
wisdom of our early General Assemblies to give it more careful 
thought than they now devote to some of the great ques- 
tions of the hour. 

By an act of 1824, it was made the duty of the "Commis- 
sioners in each and every county in the State to cause a pound 



COUNTY BUILDINGS. 55 

to be erected at or near the court-houses, with a good and suf- 
ficient fence, gate, lock, and key, where all stray horses, mules, 
and asses, above two years old, taken up within twenty miles of 
the court-house, shall be kept on the the first day of every Cir- 
cuit Court, for three succeeding terms, after the same shall be 
taken up, from eleven until three o'clock in each day, that the 
owner may have the opportunity of claiming his, her, or their 
property, and any person having taken up such property, and 
living more than twenty miles from the court-house, was not 
compelled to "exhibit it more than once." 

In obedience to some such act as this, the Henry County 
Commissioners ordered such an enclosure made or "sold" the 

"Erecting of a pound, commonly called a stray pen, the said pen to 
be erected in the southwest corner of the public square, the said pen is 
to be forty feet square, to be erected at least five feet high, and of good 
and durable timber commonly called a post and rail fence, with agate and 
lock to the same." 

Minor Fox undertook this great "public enterprise" for the 
sum of $12 50 and "gave bond with sureties approved of by the 
Commissioners of Henry county," and faithfully performed the 
labor within four months in so satisfactoiy a manner that the 
Commissioners accepted it, and made him the first Pound-keep- 
er, 

COUNTY ASYLUM. 

The buildings and belongings of the establishment where 
the county's poor are cared for ought to be a matter of more 
interest to the people of Henry than is generally manifested. 
Caring for those unfortunate persons who have, from any cause, 
become unable to care for themselves, has been accepted by the 
County Commissioners as a duty, ever since the meeting of the 
first Board, in 1823, and, although the arrangement for the com- 
fort of paupers may have seemed parsimonious at timea, sur- 
rounding circumstances must be taken into account. It would 
never do to make the fare, comforts, and general attractiveness 
of the asylum such that able-bodied, but lazy, shiftless, persons, 
of whom there are a few in every community, would seek for a 
residence at the county home, and beside the item, "on account of 
poor," has ever been a large one in the "budget" of Henry 
county, and is largely on the increase. 



56 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PllESENT. 

On the 6th day of March, 1839, Commissioners Shawhan, 
Corwdne and Ball, purchased of William Silver a farm of one 
hundred and sixtj'- acres, about one mile northwest of N^ew Cas- 
tle, for the sum of $2,000. In May following, a contract was 
made with John D. Foosha for keeping the paupers as well as 
for the building of a "poor house," and it was also ordered that 
"all persons who are now, or may hereafter become, a county 
charge, shall be removed, as the law directs, to the poor house 
provided for that purpose." 

Just what sort of a house this was to be, or the price paid 
to the man who bought \t, the records do not show, but, on the 
4th of January, 1844, a special session of the Board was called 
to receive sealed proposals for the building of another house, 
which was to be of brick, with a cellar under one wing, four- 
teen by thirty feet. The size of said building is not specified, 
but it was to have a porch on three sides of the same, with 
fourteen posts and bannisters between, from which it may be 
inferred that it was of considerable size. The brick were to be 
burned on the place, and all the sills, sleepers, posts, and plates 
were to be got off the faim. The brick work was to be painted 
red and penciled with white*, and the porch painted drab. John 
Shroyer, Miles Murphey, jr., and Dr. Reed were appointed to 
superintend the building of the said house. John H. Polsley 
undertook the work for $1,100, and was allowed, for extra work, 
the sum of twenty dollars. The Superintendents eiich received 
twenty dollars for their services. 

This building was burned down, and the paupers rendered 
homeless, in May, 1857, when the Commissioners promptly 
ordered the building of another and more commodious struc- 
ture at an expense of about $7,000. 

For two or three years, the contract was mad» with Foosha 
to care for the paupers that might, from time to time, be sent t© 
him at the rate of $1 25 per head per week, with some little 
extra allowances in "extreme cases," he paying $150 for the rent 
of the form. 

In 1841, the Commissioners resolved to turn over a new 
leaf, and so they let the contract to "board, clothe and feed" all 



COUNTY BUILDINGS. 67 

paupers, and "to treat them in a humane manner, and especial- 
ly to attend to the moral instruction of said paupers," to Sam- 
uel Hoover and Mark Modlin, for three years from the 1st of 
March, 1842, at one dollar per capita per week, they paying 
$125 for rent of tarm. At the end of this time, they called for 
"sealed proposals" for keeping the paupers, raising the rent of 
the farm to $150. The position had come to be looked upon as 
being so desirable that there was strife over it and Mr. Fooshee 
instituted an unsuccessful suit to secure possession of it, after 
the contract was awarded to other parties for three years. In 
1844, he was a successful applicant, giving twenty-five dollars 
more than had been previously paid for the use of the farm, 
and agreeing to take, "board, clothe, feed, and lodge," and mor- 
ally instruct all paupers, for Q2}4 cents per head per week, and 
bring in no other charge whatever. This was quite a coming 
down, but, after he had given bond to the satisfaction of the 
Board, he seems to have "flew the track," and Mark Modlin was 
awarded the prize at 75 cents per head per week, for one year. 

Afterward the rent of the farm was reduced to $100 per 
year, and 75 cents per week was allowed for keeping the pau- 
pers, and to "board, clothe, feed, humanelj'' treat, and morally 
instruct," &c., which was cheap as dirt. 

It is pleasant to know that our late Commissioners have 
turned over still another leaf, and do not now let that import- 
ant charge on the sole condition of economy, and yet we hear 
no complaint on this score. 

The farm has been enlarged to 280 acres, much of the late 
purchases being first class bottom land. The Superintendent, 
Mr. Mahlon D. Harvey, now serving his second term, receives 
a salary for managing the farm for the county. At the begin- 
ning of the year, there were thirty-eight paupers in the asylum. 
clerk's and recorder's offices. 

In the earliest days of the county, the position of a county 
ofllcer was not a very lucrative one. The records of their trans- 
actions were very brief and imperfect, and for a whole term of 
court might have been carried on a few scraps of paper in a 
vest pocket. One man acted as Gerk and Recorder and per- 

7 



58 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

formed many of the duties now devolving upon the Auditor, 
an office not created for twenty years after the county was or- 
ganized. In this state of affairs, some small room that could be 
rented for fifteen or twenty dollars per year was all sufficient 
for one of the officers, and, in fact, there was but little use for a 
room, except at stated intervals, for a few years, and a party 
having business with the court would be as likely as any way 
to find its Clerk out in his corn field, with a hoe in his hand, or 
in his clearing, grubbing. 

Of course this sort of thing could not last always, and we 
accordingly find that the Commissioners let the building of a 
Clerk's and Recorder's office to Thomas Ginn for the sum of 
$844. The same was to be a one-story brick building, eighteen 
feet wide and thirty-eight feet in length, divided into tw^o 
rooms. As hundreds of our readers will fully recollect it as 
occupying the southeast corner of the public square, down to 
November of the year 1867, when the offices were removed into 
the new court-house, no lengthy description of it is desirable. 

THE auditor's AND TREASURER'S OFFICE, 

On the northeast corner of the public square, erected in 1847, 
Georo-e Lowe, contractor, for the sum of $545, was the counter- 
part of the last named building in almost every particular. 

These little buildings, doubtless, answered the purpose in- 
tended quite well, when first constructed, but the rapid accumu- 
lation of records and papers, and great increase of public 
business, and number of persons doing business, had, for a 
number of years, rendered it apparent that their days of use- 
fulness were drawing to a close, when the catastrophe of 1864 
"opened the way," rather unexpectedly, for the building of 

THE PRESENT COURT-HOUSE. 

After the burning of the second court-house, in 1864, the 
Commissioners rented Murphey Hall, which, by adoption, be- 
came the court-house of the county, and continued to be so 
used till the completion of the present beautiful and commodi- 
ous structure, in 1869. 

At the time of the conflagration, some of the public records 
and a great mass of official papers, stored away in one of the 



COUNTY BUILDINGS. 59 

jury rooms, for want of room elsewhere, all more or less valu- 
able, were lost or destroyed. 

Commissioners Edwards, Minesinger, and Phelps at once 
set to work to devise ways and means for the erection of a new 
building dedicated to justice. There were several essential 
points to be secured in this proposed edifice. It must be free 
from dampness, which would destroy the precious records of 
the county, on which so much of the "peace and quiet" of our 
community depends. It must, of course, be fire proof, and suf- 
ficiently commodious for all legitimate purposes not only now, 
but for many years to come ; must be of durable materials, and 
last, if least, it must be "good looking," a monument of the en- 
terprise and taste of the people of one of the wealthy counties 
of the State. All these prerequisites have been faithfully com- 
plied with, and our county can boast of an edifice second to 
none in the State in all the essentials of such a structure. 

The cut with which this work is embellished gives a very 
fair representation of the external appearance of the building, 
coming as near doing it justice as a single view can be well 
made to do, though we fancy that it makes the building appear 
a little shorter than it really is, and giving the tower a little 
more prominence than it deserves. 

The main building is sixty-six feet wide by eighty-two feet 
in length, while the tower, which serves as main entrance and 
the initial x)oint of the stairway to the court-room, jury room, 
&c., above, adds some nineteen feet more, making the ex- 
treme length one hundred and one feet. The height of the 
walls is fifty feet and of the tower one hundred and ten feet 
from the foundation. 

There is a cellar under the building with a labyrinth of 
arched passages, or halls, or whatever the name is, which con- 
tain not only the furnaces and flues for heating every part of 
the building above, but furnish ample room for the storage of 
the annual supply of fuel. 

Of the capaciousness and convenience of the rooms 
for the county officers, on the first floor, it would exceed 
the limits of this work to speak minutely, and an attempted 



60 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

description without entering into the minutiae would be futile. 
There is a large fire proof and almost burglar proof vault con- 
nected with each of the offices for the storage of the abundant 
and valuable archives on file. 

The vaults to the Auditor's and Clerk's offices have been 
supplied with suitable cases and pigeon holes for the ponderous 
tomes and innumerable papers, not in daily use but indispensa- 
ble for reference in emergencies. In the first named vault there 
are shelves to hold ninety-eight of the largest sized records, 
while there have already accumulated one hundred and forty 
bound volumes, some of the earliest of which are of a size that 
will admit of three or four being placed in the niche allotted to 
the larger ones. This room is also supplied with 1,428 pigeon 
holes. 

The vault to the Clerk's office has room for one hundred and 
nineteen volumes of the larger size on the shelves, while the 
bound records already accumulated exceed two hundred, most 
of which are of a large size. Three-fourths of them probably 
cost the county little short of twenty dollars each on an aver- 
age. 

The court-rooms, rooms for the grand and traverse juries, 
Sherift"'s room, &c., reached by the main stairway, are all wor- 
thy of a more extended notice than this work will allow. The 
court-room itself, about sixty-five feet by fifty feet, is one of 
the finest and best appointed in the State, both as to conveni- 
ence and tasteful ornamentation. The fresco painting on its 
walls and ceiling alone cost about $1,400, and, as a consequence, 
ought to be a thing of beauty. 

The entire cost of this magnificent "temple of Justice," so 
well constructed and of such materials as to withstand the or- 
dinary ravages of the "tooth of Time," till several generations 
shall have passed away, has been about $120,000. This is seem- 
ingly a large sum, but it must be remembered that everything 
used, cost "war prices," and already, by comparison with other 
public buildings, it is coming to be regarded as not too large a 
sum for such a building. Although there has been no little 
grumbling by some of the tax-payers, it can safelv be predicted 



COUNTY BUILDINGS. 61 

that the next generation, at least, will thank the Commissioners 
who ordered its erection, and give full credit to Mr. M. F. Ed- 
wards for having efficiently superintended the construction of 
the same and completing it in less time than was required for 
the former botched job which cost but $4,500. 

THE PRESENT JAIL. 

The present county prison* is a fine well built struc- 
ture, in shape somewhat like a capital letter "T," with the 
top of the letter representing the front of the building, which 
is used as a jailer's residence, and a very comfortable and handy 
one it is at that. 

The building is complete in all its appointments, is two 
stories in height, with a cellar underneath, containing a fur- 
nace, &c., for warming the whole. Externally the building has 
the appearance of being of brick, with stone window frames 
secured with heavy iron rods, behind which are heavy plate 
glass of such a peculiar make that they do not obstruct the 
light while they tell none of the secrets of the interior. Inside 
the brick wall is a thick stone one, or rather the wall is half 
stone and half of brick, and just inside the stone is an 
iroH lining of boiler iron. Next comes a corridor about 
three feet wide, and then an iron grating, made of heavy 
iron bars through which pass one and one-eighth inch rods of 
iron. This arrangement extends through both stories. Inside 
of this formidable grating, is another passage way or corridor, 
entirely surrounding the cells, or strong boxes, which are made 
of heavy iron grating and boiler iron. 

The first floor is of massive stone slabs, about fifteen inches 
in thickness, and the second floor is of iron. There are eighteen 
cells in the building, not likely to be filled at one time soon, 

*In a former page, it is stated that the jail of 1836 "stood the racket 
for about thirty years," which has been discovered to be an error, for 
the musty records since examined show that the constant bill of expenses 
for guarding prisoners was such that the Commissioners ordered another 
one built, February 11, 1851. Elisha Clift seems to have been the archi- 
tect, and Jacob Elliott was selected to purchase materials and superin- 
tend it, under the "immediate orders" of the Commissioners. It was two 
stories in height, and thirty-six by forty feet, was of brick, with a stone 
floor, the cell wall being hewn timber, and lined with boiler iron, and 
cost about $3,500. 



62 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

unless the illicit whisky dealers of our county begin to get their 
just deserts. 

The structure was built with an eye to the safety of its in- 
mates, and, notwithstanding a mishap or two has already oc- 
curred, it is not easy to see how a safer trap can reasonably be 
constructed, and it is the opinion of good judges that, with 
reasonable care on the part of the keeper to ward off ciutside 
influences, the most expert jail-bird could be kept till doomsday. 

The cost of the building has been nearly $40,000. Robert 
Cluggish, Esq., most efficiently superintended its erection. 



HENRY COUNTY VILLAGES. 



Our county seems to have been well supplied with villages, 
"Past and Present." The plats of thirty of these can be found 
on the Recorder's books. A few of these have been paper 
towns only, while a few others, but little more fortunate, made 
a start, soon got their growth, in short, were finished. In such 
cases, it is said, about the only appropriate thing to be done is 
to put a good fence around them, whitewash it, and then quit. 

A majority, however, of the towns have become quite well 
established commercial, social, and literary centers. In point 
of seniority, it is impossible to determine which takes prece- 
dence, New Castle or West Liberty, as plats of each were filed 
on the same day— April 8, 1823— at which time the Recorder 
aeems to have commenced his official career, although it is quite 
evident that lots were laid off and cabins and other improve- 
ments begun in each, the year previous. 

WEST LIBERTY. 

This early foundation for a city was laid out by Samuel 
Furgason. It was located near the mouth of Montgomery's 
Creek, on the old State Road, or about three-fourths of a mile 
southwest of Knightstown. 

The place grew quite favorably for a few years, had at one 



HENRY COUNTY VILLAGES. 63 

time about twenty houses, and two or more groceries and dry 
goods stores. Dr. Elliott, who subsequently died of cholera, in 
Xew Castle, was the first physician. Bicknell Cole was first 
postmaster, and Aaron Maxwell first merchant. The first mail 
route established through the county was from Greensburg and 
Rushville, through West Liberty and New Castle, to Muncie, 
and for some time there were but two offices in the county. 

Unfortunately for the hopes of the West Liberty people , 
the National Road was located near half a mile north of them, 
about 1827, when "corner lots" soon became a drug. 

NEW CASTLE, 

The county seat of Henry county, is pleasantly located within 
one mile of the geographical center of the county. The Gazet- 
eers represent Charles Jamison as "proprietor," "first settler," 
&c., but a reference to the records show that he had much less 
to do with it than others. 

Wlien the Legislative Commission, already spoken of, were 
in quest of a site, about one hundred acres of land were prof- 
fered by public spirited and interested parties, for the use of the 
county, on the sole condition that the present site should be 
chosen. Of this, Absalom Harvey gave twenty-eight acres ; 
John Brumfield, twenty-eight, less two lots; A. Lewis, four- 
teen acres ; Allan Shepherd, ten acres, and Rue and Holeman, 
of Wayne county, twenty-four acres, less five lots reserved. 

This nice little patch in the wilderness was placed at the 
disposal of the County Agent, Mr. Leavell, and at once surveyed, 
and, by direction of the Commissioners, thrown upon the mar- 
ket, in July, 1822. This first sale could not have been a great 
success, as all the money handled by the Treasurer for that year 
amounted to $154 all told. In August, 1823, another sale 
was ordered, and the Commissioners showed their appre- 
ciation of printer's ink, by ordering the Agent to advertise in 
the "Richmond Weekly Intelligencer and the Indiana States- 
man, a newspaper printed at Connersville." This was followed, 
in a few months, by another sale, and still much of New Castle 
remained a wilderness, and, in May, 1824, the clearing off of 
the public square was "sold to the lowest bidder." William 



64 HENUY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

McKimmy and John Dorrah did the sui-veying, and received 
twenty-five dollars each for this service. 

Charles Jamison was soon after made the first tavern keep- 
er, and, of course, "gave bond to the satisfaction of the Board." 
In 1823, Isaac Bedsaul, being able to satisfy the Board that his 
capital did not exceed $1,000, was licensed to "keep store." His 
first store room was a twelve by sixteen cabin, with earthen 
floor and a clapboard counter, resting on stakes, driven into the 
earth. In this region, saw mills were yet unknown, and a 
frame house next to an impossibility. A log cabin was deemed 
good enough for the proudest. 

But the town grew apace, and, by 1833, had about three 
hundred inhabitants, of whom about one-tenth died of the 
cholera, in 1832-3. 

The first preaching here seems to have been by Father 
Havens, of the M. E. Church, and was had in a log house, a lit- 
tle south of the present residence of B. Shirk, Esq. 

The completion of the Chicago & Great Eastern Railroad 
this far, in the winter of 1854, and of a branch of the Cincin- 
nati & Indianapolis Junction, now called the Fort Wayne, Mun- 
cie & Cincinnati Railroad, together with some eight or nine 
turnpikes radiating in all directions, has opened up a real and 
prospective future of prosperity for the county seat, scarcely 
second to any in the State. For cleanly and well graded 
streets, substantial and palatial residences, fine business houses, 
churches, and elegant public buildings, it is noted far and wide. 
Among the leading business houses may be mentioned in the 
way of 

Dry Goods— Mowrer, Murphey & Co.; R. B. Smith; 
Shroyer & Co. ; L. L. Burr & Co. ; Lee. Harvey, and J. Holland. 

Ready-made Clothing and Dry Goods— Kahn & Co., and 
N. E. Black. 

Groceries— Mowrer & Shirk; Mullin & Hernly; B. F. 
Moore ; Samuel Arnold, and Burr & Hoover. 

Drugs— J. & R. M. Nixon ; Pence & Moore, and Dr. Men- 
denhall. 

Bakers and Restaurants— James Cummins; Chambers & 



HENRY (OUNTY VILLAGES. 65 

Denius, and W. W. Moore. 

Hardware— S. P. Jennings & Co., and J. C. Livezey & Co. 
Stoves, Tin, and Hollow-ware— M. L. Powell. 
Cabinet Makers— W. E. lavezey ; Brenneman & Beaifi, and 
L. A. Jennings. 

Plows, Wagons, &c.— J. M. Gough & Co., and Johnson & 
Fisher. 

Carriage Makers— Burley & Rogers. 
Saw and Planing Mills— L. A. Jennings, and Mr. Past. 
Jewelry Store— W. G. Hillock. 

Physicians and Surgeons— Isaac Mendenhall; John Rea; 
John Needham ; W. F. Boor : I. :N^. Dix ; Samuel Ferris, and G. 
W. Burke. 

Of Attorneys tliere is a host. Among them may be men- 
tioned Brown & Polk; Chambers & Saint; W. F. Walker; 
Elliott & Elliott ; James B. Martindale ; W . 1^. Carroll ; M. I.. 
Powell ; G. W. Woy ; Joseph Worl ; J. T. Mellett ; Wm. Grose ; 
W. M. Watkins, and T. B. Redding. 

Hotels— The Junction House, by James Mullin, and Henry 
House, by O. H. Welborn, have each the reputation of being 
well kept, while there are quite a number of excellent boarding 
houses in the place. 

Flouring Mill— Strickland & Bush; the most extensive 
establishment in the county. 

Foundry and Machine Shop— George Reiser; just being 
erected, and to be in operation in a few weeks ; will be a most 
valuable adjunct to the business of the place. 

In addition to this partial list of the bu^siness establishments 
and men of the place, there are three newspapers and one job 
printing office, three flourishing picture galleries, several milli- 
nery shops, two dental offices, several smith shops, a number of 
carpenter shops, shoemakers, painters, glaziers, paper hangers, 
plasterers, brick and stone masons, &c., &c., who always seem 
to be thronged with work; while the dealers in grain, shingles, 
lath, lumber, sash, doors, blinds, lime, coal, &c., seem to be doing 
a flourishing business, and able to compete in prices with simi- 
lar dealers anywhere in Eastern Indiana. 

8 



60 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PKESENT. 

The Academy building, three stories in height, erected at a 
cost of about $15,000, furnishes accommodations for about five 
hundred students. In it were employed seven teacliers during 
1870, with a total number of pupils admitted of 441, and an 
average attendance of 268. 

The Methodist, Christian, Lutheran, United Brethren, and 
Presbyterian churches, each have good buildings, those belong- 
ing to the Methodist Episcopal and Christian denominations 
costing some $12,000 or $15,000 each. 

The population of New Castle is a little the rise of 1,500, 
with a steady and healthy growth, while the assessed value of 
the real and personal property on the duplicate tax list of 1870 
was $799,860, a little over $533 to each man, woman, and child. 

Xew Castle has had its stand-still epochs, but they seem 
happily to be of the past; and, with new elements of growth, 
and a more thorough appreciation of the necessity of encourag- 
ing various kinds of manufacture as the only true foundation 
for prosperity, there are good prospects that it will nearly double 
its population in the next decade. 

UNIONTOWN. 

This village, so unknown to fame that scarcely a score of. 
persons now living in the county ever saw it, was located by 
William Seward, "sole proprietor," on the old State Road, in the 
south p:irt of Dudley township, in May, 1823. It only reached 
about the second or third house, before the National Road 
blighted its prospects. 

FAIRFIELD. 

Tlie next village of the county was so entirely a paper 
town that we have failed to see the man who could locate it. 
The recm-ded plat gives neither section, township or range. All 
we know is that the National Road was to be the principal 
street, and that Lewis Tacket was proprietor. 

KNIGHTSTOWN. 

The " city " of Knightstown is pleasantly situated on Blue 
River, or rather between that stream and Montgomery's Creek, 
and on the Central Railroad and National Road as well. It was 
platted in 1827, and plat recorded in 1828, Waitsel M. Carey, 



HKXRY COUNTY VILLAGES. 07 

propriet<M'. Mr. Carey kept the only hotel for some yours, mtkI 
built tlio first frame liouse in town. The place was nanief.! in 
honor of Mr. Jonathan Knight, a United States Engineer, who 
located the Cumberland or National Road through the State 
about this time. At first the town only extended back two or 
three tiers of lots from the river bluff. 

Levi Griffith and Isaac James owned the first dry goods 
establishment here about the year 1830. There were about 
half dozen houses here at that time, and the population was leas 
than three hundred in 1833. 

The first church built here was by the Presbyterians, in 
1834— a frame, about thirty by forty feet. The Methodists 
erected a small frame building, about the year 1837. A distil- 
lery was erected just over the river, about 1825, by one John 
Lewis, and about 1828 a carding machine was built near the 
depot. 

About two years after the inception of Knightstown, Ithamar 
Stewart's splendid farm of 160 acres (now worth $125 per acre) 
could have been bought for $400, and several years later the 
country was such a " howling wilderness" — with little more tlian 
a bridle-path through the woods— that Dr. Whitsel was badly 
lost in going to see a patient on Six Mile Creek. One of the best 
corner lots (Probasco's) sold for $96, which was regarded as a 
fancy price indeed. Bears came up out of the river bottom, and 
were chased through the streets more than once after 1830. A 
young physician named Hiatt was the first to locate in town ; 
his stay was short. James Wilson was Knightstown's first 
attorney. 

Whisky was in much more general use in early days than at 
present. A judge, the squire, and all the constables were seen 
drunk on one or more occasions in early days, and pugilistic 
encounters were among the cherished amusements. But great 
changes have been wrought in forty years. 

Knightstown is in the midst of splendid farming lands, the 
productions of which find here a ready market. 

In 1852 the Knightstown and Shelby ville Railroad, the first 
which reached our county, was completed to Knightstown, and 



68 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

businesjf received a new impetus, and " corner lots " rapidly ap- 
preciated in value. 

The following are among the wide-awake business houses 
of the place : 

Dry Goods— Williams & Hatfield; J. T. & O. Charles; Rea- 
gan & Risk ; Reeves & Son ; Tinney & Ramsey, and N. Weil & 
Brother. 

Clothing Store — Moses Heller. 

Groceries — Wm. B. Gray; Joseph Woods; R. Probasco; 
John Morris & Son ; Sol. Byrkett. 

Stoves and Tin Ware — Breckenridge & Barrett ; Muzzy & 
Co. ; John Crider. 

Hardware— Harvey, Bell & Co., and H. Ball. 

Drugs and Medicines — J. B. Edwards & Co. ; U. D. Picker- 
ing & Bro., and John Weaver. 

Books and Stationery— E. B. Niles. 

Dentists — Jay & Wagoner and M. H. Chappell. 

Physicians— J. W. Whitesell; N. H. Canaday; W. B. Mc- 

Gavrau; G. W. Riddell; Sparks; L. V. Winston; T, J. 

Bowls. 

Attorneys — C. D. Morgan ; J. Lee Furgason ; S. C. Cooper ; 
C. M. Butler, and Joseph M. Brown. 

Furniture Dealei-s — Confare & Simmons, and Thomas Estell. 

Millinery Establishments — A. B. Fithian & Co.; Sophie 
Shoemaker ; Mrs. Barrett ; Mrs. Green, and Mi-s. Grubbs. 

Coal, Lime, Salt, Queensware, &c. — Joseph Woods. 

Planing Mills, Sash, Doors, &c. — CofFen, Deem & Edwards, 
and Fort & Brothers. 

liivery Stables — George B. Ramsay; George Davy; Scott 
& Thayer. 

Hotels — Shipman House; Rockwell House, and several 
boarding houses. 

Churches — The Presbyterian, Methodist, and Christian de- 
nominations have each good commodious brick buildings, and 
the Baptists a comfortable frame house. 

In addition to the above-mentioned firms there are three 
flourishing grist mills, a machine shop, three or four smith shops. 



HENRY COUNTY VILLAGES. 69 

several carpenter shops, three excellent carriage factories, two 
boot and shoe stores, two butcher shops, one tannery, one bakery, 
two saw mills, two jewelry stores, masons, plasterers, restaur- 
ants, a nursery, kept by W, F. Ballard, commission merchants, 
and grain dealers ; a marble shop ; two printing offices ; a na- 
tional bank, &c. 

The Knightstown Academy building is a commodious 
structure, capable of accommodating near four liundred 
pupils, and the graded school at that point has for years ranked 
high. The building, though imposing in size, was built a num- 
ber of years ago, and some of the citizens are agitating the erec- 
tion of one with all the modern improvements. There are 537 
children of an age to go to school attached to Knightstown for 
school purposes, of which 442 attended the school year of 1870, 
and the average attendance was 261. 

The population of Knightstown, by the late census, was 
1,543, and its wealth, real and personal, according to the tax 
duplicate of 1870 is $818,390. 

RAYSVILLE. 

Raysville is situated on the east side of Blue River, which 
separates it from Knightstown. It was laid out as a village by 
John Anderson, about the time of the location of the National 
Road, and named in honor of Governor Ray. Although having 
an even start as a place of business, it has had to yield the palm 
to Knightstown, where quite a number of the citizens of Rays- 
ville are engaged in business. 

The " heights " around Raysville furnish quite commanding 
and picturesque building sites, with advantageous views of the 
Blue River Valley, two great thoroughfares, and of the two 
towns. For a commanding " out-look," we know of nothing 
more desirable in the county than the view from the former 
residence of John C. Teas, now the property of John T. White. 
Charles White and C. D. Morgan, Esq., have also fine suburban 
residences, erected regardless of expense, which add muah to 
the importance of the place. 

Fine springs in the neighboring hills have been tapped and 
the water conveyed by an " aqueduct" along Main street, for 



70 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

the use of the inhabitants, and the water-tank on the Central 
Railroad is always fully supplied from a similar source with 
pure water. 

Raysville had a population of 4G5 in July last. A dry goods 
and general store is kept by M. Thompson, and a grocery by 
Charles Barnaby. There is one wagon-maker's shop, one 
harness maker, one shoe shop, one plasterer, one smith shop, &c. 
There is also a grain elevator adjoining die depot (where the 
potent effects of steam are invoked), owned by Charles White, 
an extensive grain and stock-dealer. John Bird's nurserj'- is 
quite an adjunct to the business interests of the place. The 
Methodists and Friends have each a churcli in the place, with 
flourishing congregations. 

MIDDLETOWN, 

Situated on Fall Creek, in the northern part of Fall Creek 
township, was laid out by Jacob Koons, and plat recorded Oct. 
9, 1829. There was a public sale of lots on the 25th day of 
December, 1829, when the best lots did not sell so well as the}' 
do latterly. There was not a frame house in the township at 
that time. 

It is now the third village in the county in point of wealth 
and population. It contains one hundred and forty-five resi- 
dences, and a population of seven hundred and ten. The real 
estate is valued at $104,880, and the personal at $115,400. The 
town was incorporated, in 1840, by C. H. Burr and fourteen 
others. There are several fine buildings in the place. 

A large body of rich farming lands is tributary to Middle- 
town, and, as a consequence, large amounts of produce are 
handled there, and the sales of dry goods, groceries, &c., &c., 
are correspondingly large. Among the leading business men of 
the place, we may mention : 

Dry Goods — Yount, Murphey & Co. ; Terhune & Painter ; 
Summers & Shedron. 

Drugs — Burr & Terhune, and Wiseheart & Davis. 

Groceries— Mr. Winings ; J. T. Windsor ; James D. Farrell, 
who is also present postmaster. 

Stoves and Tinware— J. A. Scott. 



HKNRY COUNTY VILLAGES. 73 

Furniture — Fred. Tykle. 

Physicians— R.B.Griffis; R. T. Summers, and Drs. Oy- 
mer & Welcli. 

Hotels— Jesse West and Joseph Mowrer. 

There is also one of the best grist mills in the county, two 
saw mills, one harness maker, two boot and shoe houses, a tan- 
nery, wliicli has been carried on by C. H. Burr about forty 
years. 

The course of Middletown has been onward, since the com- 
pletion of the Chicago & Great Eastern Road, which passes 
through the town. Its proximity to the Bellefontaine line has 
also been of considerable advantage to it, as it enabled its 
produce dealers to command facilities for shipping denied to 
other places on the road, as the dealers could, in many in- 
stances wagon their produce to the "Bee Line," if desired facili- 
ties were denied them. 

Middletown is not disposed to neglect the subject of educa- 
tion. It has a good two-story frame school house valued at 
about $1,500, and has been sustaining a graded school for sever- 
al years. There are 203 children of a suitable age attached to 
the district, of whom 200 attended school, during 1870, while 
the average attendance is reported at 175. 

OGDKN. 

The town of Ogden, situated on the Central Railroad and 
National Road, in the southwestern portion of Spiceland town- 
ship, was laid out by Hiram Crum, in December, 1829. It was 
originally called Middletown, from its being the half way point 
between Richmond and Indianapolis, but when application was 
made for a post office, a " new name " was given it, as a rule 
of the Post Olftce Department would not admit of two offices of 
the same name in one county. Latterly, the custom is to grant 
but one of the same name in a State. 

Ogden was named in honor of a U. S. Engineer, en- 
gaged in the construction of the National Road, and is the 
oldest town and firs t voting precinct in Spiceland township. 
We mention the following among the principal business men 
and firms of the place : 



72 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

Dry Goods and Grroceries— Murphey & Son; Mr. Wright, 
and O. B. Byrket. 

Drugs— Eli T. Hodson. 

Furniture— Gillespie & Goble. 

Carriage and Wagon Maker — Moses Linderwood. 

Boots and Shoes— R. A. Broadbent. 

Blacksmithing — James Steel. 

Physicians— E. N. Tull ; William Ck>x ; Alfred Reeves, and 
Isaac Ballenger. 

Attorney— Robert N. Broadbent. 

There is an excellent grist and saw mill (water-power), 
owned by Murphey & Son, and a steam saw mill, run by Gil- 
lespie, Goble & Hubbard. 

Ogden has, besides, plasterers, masons, painters, carpenters, 
etc., one church — the Christians — and a good two-story brick 
school-house, recently erected. Ogden has a population of about 
three hundred. 

LEWIS VILLK. 

The plat of Lewisville was recorded December 25, 1829, by 
r.ewis C. Freeman and James B. Harris, proprietors. It is lo- 
cated in the southern part of Franklin township, on Flat Rock 
Creek, where the Henry County Turnpike and Central Railroad 
cross that stream, and, being in the midst of an excellent body 
of land of large scope, has been for many years a place of con- 
siderable business. When the town was laid out, two lots were 
reserved for the use of the town. Lewisville has a population 
of about 416. Its business interests are chiefly represented as 
follows : 

Dry Goods, N^otions, and Groceries— W. S. T. Morton ; Jas. 
T. Watson ; Robert Bartlett. 

Groceries, Kotions, Queensware, Stationery, &c. — Benjamin 
S. Parker. 

Hardware— Farm Implements, Stoves, &c.— T. W. Hall. 

Stoves and Tin and Hollow Ware — Samuel Eaton. 

Druggists— C. A. Humphrey and Wm. H. Kerr. 

Blacksmiths-^J. & W. Wilson and John C. Rickerd. 

Plourinff Mill— J. E. Ix)veland. 



HENRY COUNTY VILLAGES. 73L 

t-'hysicians— Wm. M. Bartlett and Wm. Vannuys. 

Xotary Public and Conveyancer — B. S. Parker* 

Attorney— J. C. Howe. 

Besides these, there are two boot and sboenjiafkers, twotail-- 
ors, two painters, and one saddle and harness maker^ carpenters,, 
masons, plasterers, milliners, watch makers, photographers, &a, 

The town has a large tAvo-story brick school house and 
a graded school, which has been quite successMly conducted by 
W. C. Hall and James M. Smith. The Methodists have a frame' 
church building, while the Presbyterians have one in course of 
erection. The real and personal property of Lewisville is rated 
for purposes of taxation at $147,660. 

GREEKSBORO. 

This town was platted in February, 1830, by John Wicker- 
sham, proprietor. It is situated on the east bank of Duck 
Creek, about one mile from its junction with Blue Eiver, and 
nearly seven miles north by east from Knightstown. Being in 
the midst of a tract of fertile farming lands, it has ever enjoyed 
a considerable local traffic, though its growth in wealth and im- 
portance has not been so rapid as that of some other villages in 
the county. Greensboro has a number of excellent turnpikes 
radiating from it ; but it is j!S a station on the " underground 
railroad " that it has won a national reputation. As the home 
of a number of determined and veteran abolition agitators, it 
had a reputation, fifteen or twenty years ago, second to no place 
of its size in the whole country. In those early days a large 
building, known as " Liberty Hall," was often filled with en- 
thusiastic audiences, who listened to such apostles of freedom 
as Arnold Buffum, Abby Kelly, Fred. Douglas, G. W. Julian, and 
others of note. 

Of the business men of the place we w^ould name : 

Dry Goods— Ezra Spencer and Reagan & Dillee. 

Clothing— Thornberry & Xewby. 

Drugs— Joel Wright and T. S. Williams. 

Groceries — Willard Loring. 

Hardware — Kern & West. 

Cabinet Maker— Thomas H. Mills. 

9 



74 HENRY COL NT Y; TAST AND PRESENT. 

Harness— A. & N. Weeks. 

Pumps — Wilson & Kiiiglit mikI II. Kooiitz. 

Dentistiy— Wilson & McGuffin. 

Wagons — Camplin & Macy. 

Blacksmiths — H. M. Jay and Spenaer & Martin. 

Boots and Shoes — Stephen Deitcli, Thomas Mowrer, and 
Bowen Burk. 

Grist Mills — lUsk & Elliott and Bowman & Taylor. 

Physicians— Newby c>c Grose and P. li. Homer. 

Hotel— Allen Kirk. 

Churches — The Methodists and the Orthodox and Hicksite 
branches of Friends have each a church-building in the village, 
while the Spiritualists have here a comfortahle place of wor- 
ship, known as Progress Hall. 

The principal school-lniilding in the place is a creditable 
two-story frame. 

The population of Greensboro is about 360, and the valua- 
tion of the real and personal property within the corporation 
limits, which does not include the whole town, is given at 
$73,970. 

HILLSBOltO, 

One of the old towns of Henry county, is situated near the 
Little Bine River, in the southeast corner of Prairie town- 
ship, and about three miles northeast of New Castle. It was 
laid out in 1830, by Thomas Maston and Samuel Rinehart. It 
has eighteen dwellings and a population of about one hundred. 
It has two small stores, a smith shop, a steam saw mill, &c., &c. 
Kear it are located the extensive woolen mills of Ice, Dunn & 
Co. The place is at present without a post office, as such an 
establishment, after two or three trials, was not found suffi- 
ciently lucrative to induce a postmaster to longer discharge the 
duties incident to it. "Dan Webster" was the name of the 
office formerly established there. 

BLOUNTSVILLE, 

Kamed after its founder, Andrew Blount, was begun in July, 
1832. It is located on the east bank of Stony Creek, near the 
northeast corner of the county, and about fourteen miles north- 



HENRY COUNTY VILLAGES. 75 

tiast of the county seat. Among the early settlers in the imme- 
diate neighborhood were John Hodgins, a Mr. Scofield, and Jona- 
than Bed well. 

The population of Blountsville is about 180, and there are 
41 dwellings in the village. 

The ^Methodists and Xew Liglit denominations have each 
good church l)uildings, while a good two-story brick school 
house speaks well for the i^lace. 

The business interests of the place are chleiiy represented 
as follows : 

Dry Goods — Jesse Carey and Eli Warner. 

Drugs and Groceries — William Luther. 

Family Groceries— William Bird. 

Physicians — Jont. Ross, L. A. Hendricks, and B. F. Adams. 

Furniture — J. Js". Stanly and J. D.Brenington. 

There is also a good flouring mill, a saw mill, smith shop, a 
liotel, kept by Mark Walradt, carpenters, boot and shoe shop, 
&c., &c. Several new turnpikes center here, whicli will have a 
tendency to greatly enhance the pleasure as well as profit ot 
living and doing business in the place. 

NEW LISBON, 

Formerly called Jamestown (or " Jiratown*"), was located 
in 1833, bj^ James Tomkinson and Wm. Crane. It is situated on 
the Xew Castle and Dublin Pike and Fort Wayne, Muncie and 
Cincinnati Railroad, about eight miles southeast of Xew Castle 
and four and one-half northwest of Dublin. It is a village of 
about forty dwellings, and near two hundred inhabitants, and, 
we believe, has never aspired to become an incorporated city. 

Among the business men may be mentioned, in the wa:y 
of— 

Dry Goods — Shawhan & Son. 

Groceries — Henrj'^ Hart and Jacob Wiseman. 

Physicians — Messrs. Kepler and Cain. 

Tile Factory— Jonathan Ratliff and Samuel Ward. 

Blacksmith — Patrick Johnson. 

Shoemaker — Cornelius Warner. 

The writer distinctly recollects a steam saw mill as being 



76 HENRY COUNTY; TAST AND PRESENT. 

iimoiig the woiitlers of " Jimtown," about the year 1837. This 
was cotemporaneous, or nearly so (if not the identical mill), 
with one owned by Daniel Reynolds and A. L. Pleas, and 
located, for a short time, about one-half mile north of Hope- 
well Meeting House. This was none of your improved institu- 
tions, in which the saw dust was amply sutiicient for fuel. It 
had two huge boilers, and required about five cords of the best 
wood per day to keep up steam, while the accumulation of 
saw dus't around the mill in a few montlis bid fair to render aj)- 
proach to it impossible. These were undoubtedly the first 
attempts at utilizing the powers of steam in this county, and 
from the best information coming down to us, the eftbrt was 
not a brilliant success financially. 

For many years Xew Lisbon had the appearance of being 
finished ; but good turnpikes and the inspiring influence of the 
Junction Railroad liave rejuvenated it, and it now enjoys con- 
siderable trade, and a number of new buildings are noticeable. 

WHEELAXD. 

A village of this name seems to have been projected in 
1833, as is attested on our records over the signature of Caleb- 
Williams, Surveyor; but since neither township, range, nor 
section is given, by which to fix its "local habitation," we con- 
clude that it never successfully passed the paper stage. 

SHARINGTOX, 

Another paper village, was platted February 23, 183G, by Benja- 
min Franklin, Abraham Showalter and James Personett; and, 
although the location is not given, it is probable that it was 
*'laid out" near the road now leading from Cadiz to Middletown ^ 
and about two and a half miles east of Mechanicsburg. 

LUllAY. 

Luray was laid out in 1836, by Lot Hazleton, and is located 
in the northern end of Prairie township, on the Kew Castle & 
Muncie Turnpike, ten miles due north of New Castle. There 
is a fine flouring mill in the vicinity. A church, school house, 
one physician, smith shop, &c., are in the village. The population 
numbered G6, according to the late census. The completion of 
the Fort VVayne, Muncie & Cincinnati Railroad, which runs 



HENRY COUNTY VILLAGES. 77 

within one and one-half miles of the place, as is usual in such 
cases, has a depressing effect upon the village. 

WOODVILLE. 

This village, located on the line between Greensboro and 
Harrison townships, about five miles northwest of the town of 
JGrreensboro, was founded May, 1836, James Atkinson, proprie- 
tor. The population of the place is quite limited. The country 
around is leavel but quite fertile. 

Alfred Jackson and Leonard Fowler preside over the dry 
goods trade of the place, and Dr. Wilson C. Olden is the ^^scu- 
lapius of the region. 

CADIZ, 

Founded September 11, 188G, David Pickering, proprietor, is 
located seven miles north of Avest from Kew Castle, and is the 
principal village in Harrison township. 

It has a population of about three hundred, and is a place 
of considerable business. Among its principal business men 
we mention : 

Dry Goods— B. W. Pickering; Hess & Cooper; McCormack 
& Bouslog. 

Drugs— Xelson & Meek ; Bond A Alshouse. 

Physicians— L. W. Hess and L. X. Benedict. 

Hotels— D. Kees and Captain Collins. 

Attornej' — Jacob Meek. 

Besides which there are carpenters, cabinet-makers, two 
black-smith shops, a tile factory, boot and shoe shops, a grist 
mill, saNV mill, a good school house, and the Friends, Methodists, 
and Christian congregations have each a church, and the Spir- 
itualists a hall in which occasional services are held. A hack 
line, carrying a daily mail, has been established for several years 
between this place and Xew Castle. 

At the time Cadiz was founded there ^n a> no house within 
seven miles on the west, and the population of tlie township 
was but little in excess of one hundred. 

KOGERSVILLE, 

Situated in the Avest part of Stony Creek township, and about 
ten miles northeast of Xew Ca-tle, was laid out by James O. 



78 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

Rogers and John K. Colburn, in January, 1837. The popula- 
tion is about seventy, and the business of the place is represented 
principally by one dry goods establishment, kept by J. W. 
Lake, a grocery store and harness shop, by Jabish Luellen, a 
shoe store, by W. T. Wilkinson, and a smith shop, by Luellen 
& Fegley. Dr. Kerr is the physician. A division of Sons of 
Temperance was kept up here until quite recentlj'', and several 
years after the institution had been suspended in every other 
part of the county. 

ELIZABETH CITY, 

Founded in September, 1838, by Robert Morris Overman, is lo- 
cated on the Knightstown and^Warrington Pike, in the north- 
west corner of AVayne township. There is a fine body of farm- 
ing land around it. Wilkinson & Brother are dealers in dry 
goods and groceries, two smith shops, run by X. McDougal and 
Elisha Burris. There are two wagon shops, a carpenter shop, one 
saw mill, an M. E. church, a school house, and twenty-two- 
families in the place. 

FETERSBRUGH, 

Located in the northeastern part of Liberty township, was 

founded in , but soon got its growth, reaching only about 

half a dozen houses. 

CHICAGO, 

Founded in , is located on the Xew Castle and Hagerstowm 

pike, about one and one-half miles southeast of Millville and 
half a mile from the railroad, which seems to have ruined its 
business prospects, vit one time it numbered ten or twelve 
houses, one or two stores, and two hotels. 

SPICELAND. 

This nourishing, and, in many respects, remarkable, village- 
existed in name and contained a few houses more than a third 
of a century ago, although it was first regularly platted and' 
lots sold by Drive-r Boon and others, in 1847. 

A postoffice was established in 1838, Thomas Cook, Post- 
master. The first goods were sold here by Solomon Sweet, in 
1840. A Friends' meeting and school were established, in 1828 
or 1829, the meetings at first beinir held in a loo- barn,. 



HENRY COI'XTV Vir>T.AGES, 79 

after whicli a log house was erected for the purpose. The 
mercantile and manufacturing: interests of the village are now 
considerable. There are engaged in the sale of 

Dry Goods — Evans & Johnson; Xewhy tt Bogue; J. E. & 
C. W. Bogue. 

Groceries — Holloway & Stanley. 

Drugs and Groceries — ^^AVoollen tli: Fntliaiik, and J. & L. 
Redding. 

Blacksmithing — James Sears ; Tliomas Eawrence. 
Wagons and Carriages — E. & C. Ratlift". 
Physicians— Cochran & Stewart; T. S. Basye. Besides 
tliese, there is an extensive saw and planing mill, owned by W. 
W. Wilson, a pump factory, by Charles Dickinson, a hotel, by 
Ann E. Pleas, several shoe and carj^enter shops, &c. 

The establishments and trades above mentioned are, per- 
haps, as well patronized here as in other villages, but in 
educational matters, Spiceland far excels most places of 
its size in the county. The academy building will accommo- 
date comfortably about 250 pupils, and it is the opinion of 
Spicelanders generally that, in range of studies, advancement, 
and general excellence, the school is not surpassed in the county. 
There is a Library Association, with a capital of $2,700, 
half paid in, and near six hundred volumes on its shelves, Wm. 
Dawson, Librarian. 

A Lecture Association has been in successful operation for 

three seasons just past, employing several first class lecturers. 

The village was incorporated about one year ago, and had, 

in Jul}' last, a population of 871, with in-oi)erty assessed at 

$135,780. 

SULPHUR SPRINGS, 

The village of Jefferson township, is situated on the Chicago 
and Great Eastern Railroad, about seven miles northwest of Xew 
Castle. It was recorded January 1, 1S58, l)y Wm. S.Yost, and 
now contains about two hundred and fifty inhabrtaiats. The 
place contains one Methodist church, a school house, one hotely 
a good grist mill, one saw mill, a tile factory, one Avagon and 
two smith shops. Dry goods are kept l)y Whitworth & 



80 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRE-SKNT. 

McCorkle and Asbury Sliowalter; drugs by Yost & Brother, 
and a grocery by H. Swank. TIic physicians are Henry Mine- 
singer and 3Ir. lleasoner. 

The property, real and personal, foots up $51,910. 

MT. SUMMIT, 

Or Summit, as it is generally called, was recorded in April, 
1855, by Jesse, Ice proprietor. It derives its name from the sup- 
position that it occupies one of tlie highest points in the county. 
It is located in the western part of Prairie township, on the 
Fort Wayne, Muncie and Cincinnati Railroad, and, although 
scarcely entitled to be called a village for the first dozen years 
of its existence, since the completion of the railroad through 
the place, it has made fair progress. Tlie business is represent- 
ed, in part, thus : 

Dry goods—John Okee, and Beavers & Brothers. 

Cabinet Maker — Wesley Dunbar. 

Wagon Makers— S. S. Canaday & Son. 

Boots and Shoes— James Courtney. 

Besides tliese, tliere arc two smith shops, two carpenter 
shops, one saw mill, a school house, &c. The place contains 
about"120 inhabitants. 

MILLVILLE. 

This village, situated on the Great Eastern Railroad, near 
the center of Liberty township, and about seven miles from the 
count}^ seat, was founded in 1855, by John Harshbarger. Its 
business is represented, in tlie way of dry goods, by Granville, 
Forkner & Co. and S. D. Wisehart; drugs and groceries by 
Howren & Schoolfield. The physicians are James Stafford and 
Mr. Schoolfield. Tliere is also a smith shop, a wagon shop, and a 
good steam saw mill, from which the place derives its unpreten- 
tious name. The population of the ])lace numbers about one 
hundred and fifty. 

ASULAND, 

Or Mullin's Station, situated on the Great Eastern Railroad, in 
Liberty township, about three miles from Xew Castle, was begun 
in 185G. Its present population is about sixty. 
Dealer in Drv Goods — Weslev Snod grass. 



HfiNltY COrXTY VILLAGES. 81 

Grrain Dealer— Charles Wilson. 
Steam Saw Mill— Xetts & Brother. 

The above, together with a smith shop, constitute the most 
noticeable business features of the place. 

CIRCLE VILLE, 

On the dividing line between Blue River and Stony Creek 
townships, founded a score or more of years ago, has passed the 
zenith of its glory, and now, as a village, scarcely exists, save in 
memory. We believe Mark E. Reeves, a retired Richmond 
merchant, still owns a nnmber of corner lots in the place. 

MECHANICSBURGH 

Was recorded by Peter Keesling and others, September 22, 1853, 
and is located in the southwestern part of Fall Creek township, 
and about four miles west of south from Middletown. At tlie 
last census i'c contained 133 inhabitants and some twenty-one 
dwellings. N. R. Elliott and Thomas Goodwin represent the 
dry goods interests of the place ; Ezra Buffkin the drug trade ; 
Isaac and 31. Woods do the blacksmithing, and Keesling & 
Elliott's saw mill men attend to the lumber interests of the 
village. The town is located in the midst of a very fertile tract 
of country, and, with three or four good pikes radiating from 
it as a center (although never destined to become a great city), 
a prosperous growth for j^ears to come may confidently be ex- 
pected. 

HONEY CKEKK, 

Located on the Chicago and Great Eastern Railroad, in Fall 
Creek township, three miles southeast of Middletown, was 
founded in 186 . Adam Evans and a Mr. Connell are engaged 
in the goods trade, which, with a blacksmith shop and a steam 
saw mill, constitutes tlie principal business features of the 
place. 

DUNREITH. 

This is one of the yoUngest of Henry county villages, and is 
located in the southeast part of Spiceland township. The first 
lots were sold by J. W. Griffin, in the year 1865, and was soon 
followed by additions from Caleb Johnson and Thomas Evans. 
A station was located liere on the completion of the Central 



82 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

Railroad, called Coffin's Station, after the proprietor, Enierj^ 
Dunreith Coffin, and a depot, one or two business houses, and 
three or four dwellings were erected. Those interested, in 1865, 
decided on a change of name, but out of respect to Mr. Coffin's 
memory called the incipient village Dunreith, after his middle 
name, and the station and post office were re-named accordingly. 
The place is fortunately situated as a point for the shipment of 
a vast amount of produce. It is one of the liveliest villages of 
the county, and contained 180 inhabitants in October last. Lots 
have generally sold here so as to realize from $400 to $1,000 per 
acre. The following are mentioned as among the enterprising 
business men of the place : — 

Dry Goods — J. T. Crum «fe Co. and Stubs & Brown. 

Hardware — Mr. Dixon. 

Drugs and Groceries — Hudelson & English and Gause & 
Porch. 

Dealer in Produce, Lime, Lath, Shingles, etc., etc. — Flem. 
Ratcliff. 

Physicians — Messrs. Butler, Holloway, and Wm. B. Cox. 

Tile Factory — Albertson Brothers. 

There is also a hotel and livery stable, kept by Mr. Young, two 
smith shops, a carriage shop, and an excellent steam saw mill, 
run by Smith, Moricle & Simmons. 

A daily hack line plies between this point and Greensboro, 
via Spiceland, and twice per day between Dunreith and Spice- 
land. The town Avas incorporated last fall. It has a large two- 
story frame school house, and the Christians and Friends liave 
each a flourishing congregation and good buildings. 

straughn's station. 
Yet in its infancy, was laid out by Merrinian Strauglui, in 1868. 
It is located in the south part of Dudley townsliip, on the Cen- 
tral Railroad and Henry County Turnpike (the old N'ational 
Road), and about half way between Dublin and Lewisville. 
It has sixty inhabitants, two stores, a i)Ost office, an express 
office, a smith shop, a wagon shop, a school house, and a church, 
which cost about $2,500. Merriman Strauglin the " oldest in- 
habitant," came to the vicinity in tlie autumn of 1822, Avhen all 



HEXRY i:OUNTY VILLAGES. 83 

around was a " howling' wilderness ;" when it was the fashion to 
build railways with the rails across the track. 

GRANT CITY, 

One of the youngest of Henry county villages, is handsomely 
situated and well laid out, on the Knightstown and ^MiddletOAvn 
Turnpike, six miles north of Knightstown. It is a lively little 
place, and was laid out bj'' Jacob Green, Esq., in October, 1868. 
It has a population of sixty-eight, one Friends' meeting house, 
and a good school house. The Methodists have recently effected 
a church organization. 

There are two general stores, one drug store and doctor's 
office, one steam saw mill, two smith shops, one cabinet shop, 
&c. In the vicinity lives John Manlove, one of the pioneers, 
eighty-seven j^ears of age, and for about fifty years a resident of 
the county. 

SPRINGPORT 

Sprang into existence after the location of the Fort Wayne^ 
Muncie & Cincinnati Railroad, in 1869, and, as a consequence, 
has not had time to acquire metropolitan dimensions. It is sit- 
uated in the northwestern part of Prairie township. The pop- 
ulation numbers near 

Dry Goods and Groceries are sold by Rieman & Vance, and 
by Hiram Allen. 

Drugs and IVEedicines — Charles Hickman. 

Physicians— E. A. Estabrook, and D. Comstock. 

Tliere is also a smith shop, a saw mill, «fcc. 

And this brings us to the end of the list of villages, '' past 
and present,'' for Henry county. Several of these, it will be ob- 
sei-ved, scarcely existed, save in the "florid imaginations" of^ 
their sanguine projectors. The notice of the " rise and pro- 
gress " of many of these has necessarily been short, and in some 
instances not as full relatively, as the comparative importance of 
the place would have warranted ; but in the haste of prepara- 
tion it has not always been possible to obtain the desired in- 
formation just when wanted, especially of the business inter- 
ests of tliis or that locality, and in some instances very import- 



.•84 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT 

ant features, such as Casely's flax mill, at Knightstown, &c., 
•Avere overlooked at the proper time. 

The propriety of giving a sort of directory in connection 
with the sketch of each village has been debatable from the 
first, since changes were constantly going on ; new firms com- 
ing on to the stage and old ones passing off. Still it is believed 
the feature is of sufficient interest, in spite of needed emenda- 
tions, to warrant its retention. 



HENRY COUNTY OFFICERS. 



While it is not presumed that all Henry county officials 
liave been paragons of virtue, it is nevertheless true that the 
county has more generally been blessed with honorable and 
capable men for officers than most counties within our knowl- 
edge. No well founded charges of peculation or corruption in 
office seems ever to have been preferred against a Henry county 
official by any well meaning person, and there is no evidence of 
a single cent having been lost to the county by any defaulting 
public 'servant, nor of their securities ever having suftered from 
the misconduct of the principal. Most of them have been what 
were considered l)y the standard of the times temperate men ; 
and, althougli all have not been teetotalers, a regular whisky 
bloat has scarcely ever been able to command any considerable 
support in the county, which is far from being the fact in man}' 
-counties in tlie State. 

With such officials the finances of the country, as will be 
seen elsewhere, have in the main l)een judiciously managed, and 
the burthens laid upon the people lighter than in most counties of 
the State, and, for many years, a "county order" has been just 
•as good as a check on the most flourishiug bank, or as so much 
•of the currency of the times paid in hand. These matters are 
not mentioned for the purpose of fostering county pride, but as 
Si simple record of facts, which a pretty extensive search among 



HENRY COUNTY OFFICERS, 



85 



the county archives seems to justify. 

The following tables give nearly a complete list of the pub- 
lic servants of Henry count}', together with the dates of service- 
It is proper to mention, however, that, from the changing of 
the official term, strict accuracy has not always been attainable 
without more research than was convenient ; and it is also well 
to mention that, as in the case of the Treasurer, the date named 
of necessity includes the year in which they were inducted into- 
office as well as the outgoing year, a portion of which was of 
course served. 

OUR SEXATORS, FROM 1S22 TO 1871. 

Henry county has been represented in the upper branch of 
the State General Assembly by lifteen "grave and reverend 
seigniors," of 'ssdiom thirteen have been citizens of the county. 
Amaziah Morgan, of Rush, and Thomas Bell, of Madison, being 
the "outsiders" who have had the honor of speaking for us. 
Our legislators have not all been Solons, but the probability is 
that they have been, morallj^ and intellectually at least, fully up 
to the average of the times. Below is given a list of such 
Senators, with dates, and counties comi)osing the districts, &c. 



Names. 


Years Served. 


Counties Constituting District. 


James Gregory 

Amaziah Morgan 

Amaziah Morgan 


182:3-24-25 

1826-27-28 

1829-30 

1831-32-33-3-1 

1835 

1836-37-38 

1839-40-41 

1842-43-44 

1845-46-47 

1848-49-50 

1851-52-53 

1854-55-5(5 

1857-58-59 

1860-61-62-63 

1864-65 

1866-67 

1868-69-70-71 


Henry, Rush, Marion, Madison, 
Shelby, Decatur, Johnson. 

Henry, Rush, Randolph, Allen. 

Rush, Henry, Randolph, Allen, 
Delaware. 

Henry, Madison, Hancock. 

Same. 

Same. 

Henry constituted the District. 

Same. 

Same. 


Thomas Bell 

Thomas R. Stanford . . 

Jehu T. Elliott 

Thomas R. Stanford.. 
Eli Miirphey 


George Evans 

E.T.Hickman 

W. W. Williams 

Isaac Kinley 


Same. 
Same. 
Same. 
Same. 


J. H. Mellett 

Milton Peden 


Same. 


Thomas Reagan 

L.W. Hess 


Some. 

Henry and Hancock. 



80 



HE>RY COUNTY; PAST AND PKESEXT. 



OUR KKPKKSKNTATIVES, FKOM 1822 TO 1871. 

Below will be found a list, almost comj^lete, of our Repre- 
sentatives in the lower branch of the General Assembly. 



Names, 


Y'ears Served. 


Remi«i-ks. 


Thomas Hendricks . . . 


1823-24 


Henry, Rush, Decatur, Shelby. 


Thomas R. Stanford . . 


1825-2C) 




Elisha Long 


182T-28 


Of Henry, for Henry, Madison, 

and Hamilton. 
Henrv, Hamilton, Hancock, Mad- 


Elisha Long 




ison, and all the country north 


■\Vm. Conner 


182'.» 


to the State line, not attached 
to some other countv. 




1830 




Thomas Bell 




Thomas E. Stanford . . 


1831-32-33-34 


Tlenrv countv alo}ie. 


David Macy 


1835 




David Macv. 


1830 




R. Henderson 




David Macv. 


1837 




Miles Murphy 




Robert M. Cooper 


1838 




Jesse H. Healy 




I J. M. Cooper 


1839 




IJalph Berkshire 




D. C. Shawhan 






T. R. Stanford 


1840 




Joel Reed 


1841 




K. M. Cooper 




Simon Summers 






Isaac Parker 






Joel Reed 


1843 




Robert I. Hudelson . . . 






1844 




J. W. Grubbs 




John Powell 


1840 




Simon Summers 




Samuel Coffin 


1847 




Jesse W. Baldwin. . . 




M. L. Bundy 


1848 




Wm. A. Riliner 






Butler Hubbard 


1850 




Russell Jordan 






Isaac H. Morris 


1851-52 




Joseph Yount 




S. W. Stewart 


1853-4 
1855-50 




Luther C. Mellett 




Milton Peden 




X. H. Ballenger 


1857 58 




Wm. Grose 






J. H. Mellett 


1859-60 




M. L. Bundy 


1861-62 






1863-64 




D. W. Chambers 


1865-66-67-68 




John R. Millikan 


1869-70-71 




Dr. Chittenden 


1869-70 


Joint for Henry and Madison. 


Thomas Lines 


1870-71 


Joint for Henry and Madison. 



HENRY COUNTY OFFICERS. 87 

COMMISSIONEJiS, FROM 1822 TO 1824. 

Allan Sheplicrd, 1822 to 1823, Elisha Shortridgc, 1^2 to 1824, 

Samuel Goble, 1822 to 1824, William Shaunon, 1823 to 1824. 

BOAKD OF JUSTICES, FROM 1824 TO 1827.* 

James Johnston, 1824 to 1825,-i- Lewis Tacket 1825 to 1B27 

William Shannon, 1824 to 1827, Abraham El lott, 182o to l^^U 

James Gilmore, 1824 to lS26,t Moses Robertson, 182o to 1827 
Samuel Batson (or Bedson), '24 to '27, Absalom Loutham 182G to 1827, 

Samuel Lonthain, 1824 to 1827, John Freelm 1826 to 18.., 

Robert Thompson, 1824 to 1827, Jesse Daily, 1826 to 182<, 

Thomas Wadkins, 1824 to 1827, Joseph Craft, 1827, 

Abraham Heaton, 1824 to 1827, Levi Cropper, 1827 

Sampson Smith, 1825 to 1826. Thomas Ellison, 1827. 
John Harris, 1825 to 1827. 

COMMISSIONERS, FROM 1827 TO 1872. 

James Fort, 1827 to 1828, Jacob Elliott, 1844 to 1847, 

Elisha Shortridge, 1827 to 1820, William S. Yost, — to 184o, 

Abraham Heaton, 1827 to 1828, Preserved L. W. McKee, 184o to 184G, 

John Whitacre, 1828 to 1831, Elisha Clift, lb4b to 18d3, 

John S. Cooper, 1828 so 1829, Jason Williams, 1847 to 18o0, 

Solomon Brown, 18}9 to 1834, James T. Snodgivass 18^ to IBol, 

Robert Murphev, 1829 to 1836, David Palmer, 18o0 to 18oo, 

Joseph Robbins, 1831 to l&M, Jesse Paul, 18J1 _tf^l8^4, 

J. R. Leonard, to 1834, John Cooper, 18o3 to 1^6 

Tabor W. McKee, 1834 to 1836, S. B. Bmford, 18o4 to 1860, 

.John Whitacre, 1835 to 1836, Thomas R. Stanford, 18.54 to 1860, 

Jesse Forkner, 1836 to 1837, W. L. Boyd, 1856 to 1862, 

J W. Baldwin, 18.36 to 1838, M. F. Edwards, 1860to 1866, 

D C Shawhan, 1837 to 1840, John Minesmger, IbGl to 186 (, 

George Corwine, 1838 to 1841, Elias Phelps, 1862 to 1869, 

Jesse H Healv, 1840 to 1843, Andrew Harrold, 1866 to 1870, 

James Ball, 1838 to 1839, ^^^rew Pierce, 1867 to 1870, 

Matthew McKimmy, 1839 to 1842, Williams ^icho son 1868 to 1871, 

Nathan Hunt, 1841 to 1844, Thomas N. White, 1870 to 1873, 

Nelson Sharp, 1842 to 1848, Jabish Luellen, 1870 to 1873, 
Aquila Barrett, 1843 to 1845, R. H. Cooper, elect. 

SHERIFFS, FROM 1822 TO 1872. 

Jesse H. Healey, 1822 to 1827, Thomas Ginu, 1839 to 1841, 
Ezekiel Leavell, 1827 to 1828, Tabor W. McKee, 1841 to 1843, 

Jacob Thornburgh, 1828 to 1830, Joshua Chappell, 1843 to 1847, 

Jesse Forkner, 1830 to 1833, Jesse H. Healey, 1847 to 1851, 

Moses Robinson, 1834 to 1836, Joshua Johnson, 1851, 

Tabor W. McKee, 1837 to 1839, W. W. Shelley, 1851 to 1855, 



*By an act of the General Assembljs February, 1824, the Justices of 
the Peace became ex officio County Commissioners, but this seems to have 
n fallen into disrepute, and, in 1827, the Board of Commissioners was 
revived. 

-j-President of Board, in 1824. 

tPresident, in 1825 and part of 1826; died, in 1826. 

$Elect^ President, in 1826, to fill vacancy caused by death of Gilmore. 



88 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

Peter Shroyer, 1855 to 1857, R. B. Carr, 1S63 to 18G7, 

Vincent Shelley, 1857 to 1859, W. 8. Bedlbrtl, 18(37 to 1871, 

J. W. Vance, 1855) to 1863, H. Li Mullen, elect. 

TREASUREKS, FROM 1822 TO 1872. 

Wm. Shannon, 1822, John C. Hndelson, 1&17 to 185->^ 

Benjamin Harvey, 1824, L. D. Meek, 1852 to 1855,* 

Isaac Bedsanl, 1825, H. C. Grubbs, 1855 to 1857,f v. 

Matthew Williams, 182G, Caleb Johnson, 1857 to 1861, 

Isaac Bedsaul, 1826 to 1833, Emsley Julian, 1861 to 1S65, 

Miles Murphy, 1833, Morgan James, 1865 to 1867, 

Jelm T. Elliott, 1834 to 1839, R. M. Grubbs, 1867 to 1869, -- ' 

Samuel Hazzard, 1839 to ISll, George Hazzard, 1869 to 1871, 

Joshua Holland, 1841 to 1&14, Rotheus Scott, elect. 
M. L. Bundy, 1844 to 1847, 

CLERKS OF CIRCUIT COURT. 

Tlie Constitution of Indiana provides that tlie "judiciary 
power " of this State " shall he vested in one Supreme Court, in 
Circuit Courts, and such other inferior Courts as the General 
Assemhly may from time to time direct and establish." 

The official title of the fiduciary dignitary commonly called 
the " County Clerk" is " Clerk of the Circuit Court," although 
it is evident from the records that more than half his onerous 
duties have at all times had their origin in the " inferior courts," 
and while discharging the functions of the various positions 
he has often attested documents as " C. C. C. P. H. C," or " C 
H. P. C," or " C. H. C. P. C," or " Clerk of the Board," which, 
heing interpreted, probably means, " Clerk of the Circuit Court 
and Probate of Henry County," or " Clerk of the Henry Com- 
mon Pleas Court," or "Clerk of the Board of Commissioners," 
&c. The following is a list, from the earliest times till the year 
of grace, 1871, of the Circuit Court: 
Rene Julian, 1822 to 1828,^ Eli Murphey, 1833 to 1842, 

Abraham Elliott, 1828,§ Samuel Hoover, 1842 to 1850,|| 

John E lliott, 1828 to 1833, S. T. Powell, 1850 to 1855, 

*Filled by Deputy J. S. Ferris. 

iDied in office. J. W. Grubbs, was appointed to fill the unexpired 
term, but Thomas Rogers performed the duties of the office. 

JDied in office, August 9, 1828. 

$Pro tern., filling the office for a few weeks only. 

II Duties of oflice performed by S. T. Powell, deputy, for alioiit two 
years. 



HENRY COUNTY OFFICERS, 



89 



J. CHudelsoti, lS55tol&59, H. H. Hiatt, 18CT to 1871,* 

Benjamin Shirk, 1859 to 1SC7, D. W. Kinsey, 1871. 

PRESIDING JUDGES. 

From the organization of the State until the adoption of 
the new Constitution, in 1851, the Judges of the Circuit Court 
were, one Presiding Judge, elected by the circuit (often com- 
prising half a dozen or more counties), and two resident Asso- 
ciate Judges. Hon. Miles C. Eggleston, of Erookville, Avas the 
first "President Judge,-' and T. E. Stanford and Elisha Long 
tlie first Associate Judges. Below is given the list, with dates 
of service: 

Miles C. Egffleston 1822 to 1825: Joseph Anthony 1863 to 1855 

Bethuel F. ^lorris 1825 to laSO Jeremialx Smith 1855 

I'harles H. Test 1830 to 1836 Jehu T. Elliott 1855 to 1864 

Samuel Bigger 1836 to 1840 1 Silas Colgrove 1865 to imi 

James Perry 1840 to l&14iJos. S. Buckles 1867 to 1871 

Jehu T. Elliott 1844 to 1852 Joshua H. Mellett 1871 

<>. P. Morton 1852 to 1853| 

ASSOCIATE JUDGES. 

Thomas R. Stanford 1822 to 1825 Gabriel Cosand 1843 to 1S46 

Elisha Long 1822 to 1826 Abraham Elliott 184:3 to 1849 

John Anderson 1826 to 18:39 James W. Crowley 1843 to 18o<) 

Byron Cadwalader 1825 to 18:34 Wra. AV. Williams 1849 to 1852 

Jacob Tharp 18:34. to 1S43 Joseph Farley 1850 to 1852 

Jacob Thornburgh 1839 to 1&40 

In 1852 the Associate Judges were lopped off and the Pre- 
siding Judge was termed " sole Judge." 

CIRCUIT PROSECUTORS. 

These important functionaries, with whom hangs the fate 
of the evil-doers to a much larger extent than on either Judge 
or jury, seem to have heen at first appointed, and then elected 
annually, and afterward biennially. The following is the li»t 
complete, except appointments pro tem. : 



Lot Bloomfield... 
James Gilmore. .. 
Abraham Elliott. 



1822 

1823 

1824 

Harvey Gregg 1825 

Calvin Fletcher 1826 

James Whitcomb 1827 

< harles H. Test 1828 

Samuel C. Sample 1828 

Wm. W. Wick 1829 

James Perry 1830 

Wm. J. Brown 1832 

S. W. Parker 1837 

David Macy 18:39 



Martin M. Ray 1841 

J.T.Elliott l.S4:3 

Samuel E. Perkins J844 

J. B. Julian 1844 

John B. Stitt ; 1846 

Joshua H. Mellett 184S 

Silas Colgrove 1852 

E. B. Martindale 1855 

Thomas M. Brown 1855 

James N. Templer 1862 

L. W. Goodwin 1867 

D, W. Chambers 1868 to 1872 



*Died March 21, 1871, before entering upon the second term of ofiice to 
Which he had been elected. D. W. Kinsey was appointed by the Commis- 
sioners to the office till the next general election, in 1872. 

10 



m HENKY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

31ost of our Attorney's have temporarily filled the positions 
of rrosecutor one or more terms, by appointment of the Court, 
but it is not deemed necessary to enter into particulars. And so 
of the Judges' bench, especially of late years. In case of the 
non-ai^pearanee of the Judgvj elect, the Sheriff, Clerk, and Au- 
ditor select some suitable person to fill the bench, and we find 
tlie names of Judges AYalkcr, Brown, &c., frequently occur- 
ring on the Order Books of the Court. 

CLERKS OF PROBATE. 

At the time of the organization of the county, there wa^ 
in existence a Probate Court, which had especial jurisdiction 
in the settlement of decedents' estates, whether intestate or 
otherwise, the jurisdiction in this regard being much the^ame 
as that of tlie Court of Common Pleas of a later day. The 
Clerk of the Circuit Court was, by virtue of his oflice, Clerk of 
the Probate Court, filling both positions during his term of 
office, except in the case of S. T. Powell, during whose term the 
Probate Court was abolished and the Common Pleas instituted. 
Those who thus served are as follows : Ilene Julian, Abraham 
Elliott, John Elliott, Eli Murphey, Samuel Hoover, S. T. Powell. 

COMMON PLEAS JUDGES. 

The Court of Common Pleas appears to have been invented 
jmmediately upon the formation of the new Constitution, to 
take the place of the old Probate Court, and, it might be added, 
to confuse and complicate litigation — in which respect the exist- 
ence of two courts having so nearly identical jurisdiction, as the 
Circuit and Common Pleas Courts have, has been quite a success. 
The first term of the Connnon Pleas Court for Henry county 
began in 1853, and the following is a list of the Judges : 

M. L. Bundy 1853 to 18C.0 1 D. S. Gooding 1862 to 18r)5 

Wm. Grose... 1860 to 1861 Wm. K. West 1865tol871 

- E. B. Marti ndale 1861 to 1862 | 

DISTRICT PROSECUTORS. 



E. B. Martindalc 1853 

James BroAvn — 1855 

T. B. Redding 1857 

M. L. Reed 1857 

iW.n. IIou£?h 1861 

D. W. Conistock 1863 



J. B. Martindale • 1S(>5 

JC. W. Thompson 1867 

^R. A. Rilev 1867 

wm. F. Walker 1867 

Joseph W. Worl 1869 to 1871 



*To fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Grose. +0f Ilan- 
lock county. tOl' Grant county. ^Of Hancock county. 



HENRY COUNTY OFFICERS. 91 

kecordi:rs of henry county. 
The office of Recorder, for quite a number of years, does 
not seem to haye been counted a prize of any gi-eat yalue, and, 
notwithstanding the business continued steadily to grow from 
the first, as the records abundantly show, the emoluments of the 
otRce were less than $900 in 1863. The following are the names 
and dates of service of the incumbents : 

Rene Julian ISS'^ to 1828: Butler Hubbard la^O to 186T 

Thomas (iinn 1828 to 18:i4lEnos Bond IS^I to lHtt8 

Joel Reed 1834 to 1841 *Butler Hubbard 1868 

J. A. McMeans 1841 to 1858| Levi Bond 1808 to IBTa 

AUDITORS OF HENRY COUNTY. 

This office was created in 1840. Prior to this time, the po- 
sition of Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners had 
been filled by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the duties, so far 
as they went, being somewhat similar to those now performed 
by the Auditor, though in extent not being a tithe of what now 
devolves upon the office. Indeed, the records of the first twenty 
years' transactions are hardly equal to those recorded for one 
, quarter at the present day. Some estimate may be formed of 
the growth of the duties of the office from the fact that Eene 
Julian was allowed seventeen dollars for his labors as Clerk of 
the Board for four terms of the Comniissionqj;-s* Court in 1822, 
while to-day the duties require the unremitting labors of two 
persons from early morning until ten o'clock P. M., nearly every 
day in the year, an amount of duties considerablyin excess even 
of the onerous duties of the Clerk's office, which it about equals 
in point of pay. So far the office has been filled bj- but four 
parsons (and, singular to relate, they have all been preachers, 
to-wit : 

James Iliff 1841 to 1850jThomas Kogers 18n3 to ISCl 

Thomas Rogers 1850 to 1856 Seth S. Bennett 1867 to 1871 

James S. Ferris 1856 to 1863| 

COLLECTORS OF HENRY COUNTY. 

Prior to 1840 the collection of the county revenue appears 
to have been a dutj'^ distinct from the functions of keeping and 
paying out the same, and generally devolved upon a different 
person. Kow the delinquent taxes only are collected in that 
way. As it was not an office of record, a complete list is at 
* Appointed to All vacancy caused by death of Enos Bond. 



92 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT 

present unattainable, although the following is nearly correct 



Jesse H. Healey 1822 to 1823 

Joseph Civaft 1824 

'1 ohn Andevsou 1825 

Joseph Craft 1826 

Jesse Forkner 1827 

John Harris 1828 to 1829 



Moses Robinson 18:B0 to 1S:« 

Weslev GoodMan 1834 to laSo 

Moses Robertson 1830 to 1838 

A. G. Small 1839 

Joshua Holland 1840 to 1&12 



COUNTY SURVEYORS. 

This office has never been regarded as a "fat" one, andy 
so far as heard from, none of the incumbents have died wealthy. 
The probabilities are that the compensation growing directly 
out of the position has never in any one year exceeded $250. 
Tlie following named persons have held the position, the first- 
named having it for twenty years : Thomas R. Stanford, Stephen 
Mendenhall, George Ballengall, Isaac Kinley, John F. Polk 
James M. Clements, N'oah Hays. 

CORONER. 

The office of Coroner is a position of more dignity and 
importance, and less pay, perhaps, than is generally known. 
The term of office is for two years, and the incumbent may be 
called to fill the Sheriff's office when that officer is invited to be 
l^arty to a suit. He is also a peace officer, with the same powers 
as a Sheriff, and, in. case of a vacancy or disqualification of the 
Sheriff, he becomes the Sheriff de facto, and yet the pay of such 
a position in this county has generally been but a few dollars^ 
perhaps less than twenty-five, per annum. Only once or twice, 
we believe, has the Coroner been called on to act as Sheriff in 
the county. William McDowell, familiarly known as " Uncle 
Billy Mack," has been Coroner so generallj^ that he has come to 
be looked upon as the Coroner. 

BAILIFF. 

In addition to tlie above, ought by all means to be men- 
tioned the almost indispensable and inevitable Bailiff. This 
position has been filled for thirty-nine years (up to 1869) we be- 
lieve, by William McDowell, senior ; and notwithstanding the 
place may be as acceptably filled by the present Bailiff, Mr. John 
Alexander, there would have been a fitness in retaining " Uncle 
Billy" for at least a quarter of a century longer. 



STATISTICAL AND FINANCIAL. 93 



STATISTICAL AND FINANCIAL. 



The steady growth of our count)^ in wealth, population, 
■and educational facilities cannot perhaps be better presented 
than in the following brief tables, some of which are not com- 
plete, from the fact that the sources of information on w^hich we 
relied are in themselves incomplete. It is to be regretted that 
not even a complete file of local papers back of 1858 can now 
be found in the county, while tax duplicates of a date prior to 
1842 were destroyed with the Court House in 1864. 

The area of the county is about three hundred and ninet}* 
square miles, and, taking the record of the vote for Governor in 
1825, (the first of w^hich we have any account,) and allow- 
ing six inhabitants to each vote east, we have 2,193, or a little 
little less than six to the square mile. Three years later it was 
^bout nine per square mile, and four years later the population 
had reached about sixteen per square mile, or one to each forty- 
acre lot; w^hile to-day the population is nearly four times as 
great, and numbers aboutone to each ten-acre lot in the county. 

ASSESSING THE EEVEXFE. 

The cost of assessing the county for the first few years may 
also serve to throw some light on the past, and, compared with 
the same service to-day, must be admitted to demonstrate pro- 
gress at least. 

In 1823 John Dorrali was allowed four dollars for assessing 
Henry township, nearly one-third of the county, from which 
we estimate the cost of the whole county at $15. 

Assessing for 1833 $151 Assessiug- for 1827 |49 

Assessing for 1824 Ifi Assessing for 1828 40 

Assessing for 1825 l«l Asses!<ing for 1829 25 

Assessing for 182G 25| Assessing for 18:30 25 

This was all well enough — no needless expense about it at 
all, one would think ; and, at the same time, it is jirobable that 
the Assessors were as well paid as to-day, when the average 
cost is about $150 ])er township. In early times a man knew 
much more about the affairs of liis neiglibors than at present, 



94 HENRY COUKTY; PAST AND PKE8E?sT. 

and could tell the number of horses, oxen, gold watches, or 
pleai^ure carriages, without going to see him; so he would ju&t 
sit down at home and make out a schedule for the township ; 
and so late as 184G the cost for the whole county was but $266, 
little more than the cost for the largest township this year. The 
cost of assessing the revenue for 1871 is $1,801. 

COUNTY "REVENUES. 

Xo complete statements of the condition of Henry county 
finances, such as are set forth by the Auditor's and Treasurer's 
books of to-day, seems to have been kept prior to 1842, and 
what there was of the earlier duplicates was probably destroyed 
in 1864. An occasional reference or paragraph, of from two or 
tiiree to a dozen lines each, interspersed through the Ck)mmi5- 
sioners' records, furnished about all there is extant of the 
amount and kind of taxes levied, as well as the condition of the 
Treasury, for the first twenty years of our history. The total 
cash in the Treasury, from June 1, 1822, tc^ November 13 of the 
same year, was $74 50. This, we are left to suppose, flowed into 
tlie Treasury from some natural course, as no account of a ta.x 
levy prior to this has been preseiTed. 

The following entrj^, made at the November term, 1822,. 
speaks for itself. Jesse H. Healey was Collector as well as 
Sheriff: 

Upon settlement entered into with the Sherifl', after giving him 
credit lor delinquency, «ind the balance being struck, he stands charged 
to the county of Henry, for taxes due, the sum of one hundred and fifty- 
three dollars, thirty-seven and one-half cents. 

Next follow^s a statement of the receipts and expenditures 
of the Treasurer, up to November 13, in words and figures as 
follows : 

(ash to the < 'ounty Ti-easurer f}om the first day of June, 1822, up to 
the 13th day of Nov., 1822, the sum of $142 55, in orders against the county, 
which the Treasurer allowed, and, after allOAving his per cent for receiv- 
ing and paying, leaves a balance in favor of the County Treasurer against 
the county of the sum of eighty-flve dollars and eightj'-seveu cents. 

A further settlement was had with the Trea&nrer on the 
11th of February, 1823, which seems to have been the end of the 
first financial year. From this " balance sheet " it appears that 
there had been received into the county " strong box " the sum- 
of $153 37^^, and that he had paid out, since the November set- 



STATISTICAL AND FTXAN( lAL. 95 

tlement $42 72>^, making a total of receipt^, $15.'^ Ti% ; expen- 
ditures, $184 17%' 

From this it will be seen that the count.v was in debt the 
considerable sum of $30 90, which the unsophisticated financiers 
of the time no doubt felt to be a burden, as the theory that the 
"public debt is a national blessing" was not invented at that 
early day. 

In 1823 the county was placed ftiirly on its feet, as there ap- 
pears to have been a balance left in the Treasury, after having 
paid the Treasurer and Sheriff" $11 50 each for their laborious 
duties. The receiiJts and expenditures for the year ending Feb- 
rury 9, 1824, were: Receipts, $296 75: expenditures, $241 37; 
balance, $34 7G; delinquency, $11 55. 

It must not be supixised that this very satisfactory state of 
the public exchequer was brought about by our present ad 
valorem system of assessments. Far from it. The amount of 
the duplicate for 1824, for county purposes, was but $27 28 : 
State purposes, $45 50; or a total of $72 78. 

EXCISE AND SUMPTUARY LAWS. 

To devise ways and means for meeting the wants of the 
county was an early concern of our county " administration," 
and to this end it enacted that the rates of tavern license for 
1822 shall be $4 ; and well knowing that the tavern-keeper must 
get this money of his customers, the Commissioners, on the 11th 
day of November, 1822, enacted that the following shall be the 
Rates of laveru-keepers for diet, liquors, lodarina--. horse feed, stab- 
lage, &c. : 

For breakfast, dinner, or supper. ^^K 

For lodging 63* 

For whisky, per half pint ^}i 

For peach brandy, per half pint 12)^ 

Wine, French brandy, and rum, per half pint 25 

Cider, per quart 12i< 

Beer or porter, per quart 12>^ 

Horse per night, at hay 12 »^ 

Oats, per gallon, or corn 6>^ 

In November, 1823, the following entry was made on the 
records : 

Ordered by the Board, That the former rate? and prices of liquors, 
diet, lodging, stablage, and provender, for which the several tavern- 
keepers were allowed to sell, are continued the ensuing year. 

In 1824 the price of " diet *' was advanced to 25 cents, and 
that of whisky was doubled, as was also a single feed lor a 



IIENRV COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 



$ 25 
50 

37 >i 
18% 

1 00 

1 50 



horse, or, "oats, per gallon, or corn," while other items for the 
comfort ot man or beast seemed to have remained stationary. 
The following is the regular duplicate rates of taxation or- 
dered by the Board for 1824 : — 

For State purposes : 

On every $100 worth of bank stock 

On each male person, sane, and not a pauper 

For county purposes : 
On ev^ry animal of the horse, ass, or mule kind, over 3 years old 

On oxen, three years old and over 

On each gold watch 

On each two-wheeled pleasure carriage 

On each brass clock 1 00 

On each silver or pinch-beck watch 25 

As it is probable that there was not a pleasure carriage, 
gold watch, or brass clock in the county, it looks as if the above 
schedule of prices was intended to be prohibitory. Take into 
consideration the scarcity and value of money at that early 
day, and a i)ortion of these taxes must be considered onerous, 
while the smallness of the duplicate shows conclusively that 
very few of the tax-payers of Henry county sported such trin- 
kets as gold watches or brass clocks. In our day, when Uncle 
Sam put a tax of one dollar on a watch or carriage, men have 
been heard grumbling most unamiably about the burden. 

As previously mentioned, much exact information about 
the county in its infancy is not attainable, and we are forced to 
rely upon disjointed fragments, collected here and there, for 
iTiany things. 

The taxable polls of the county in 1825 numbered $405, 
and there was not a pauper in it. In the same j^car AN'ayne 
county had $2,291 taxable polls and sixteen paupers. Marion 
county had but $G30 taxable polls and twanty-two paupers. 

THE ANNUAL EXHIBIT. 

The following is an exhibit of the revenues of the county 
for the years named : 



Yeai-. 


Iteceipts. | 


Expenses. 


Delinquent. 


1822 


$74 50 
296 751 
538 941 
462 22 
474 75 
489 04' 
449 97: 


$142 55 
230 47 
521 30 
352 51 

429 27 
349 73 




1823 


$11 50 
:34 00 
25 00 


1824 


1825 


1826 


39 58 
15 93 


1827 

1828 




• •••■•■ 



STATISTICAL AND FINANCIAL. 



97 



The receipts and expenditures for 1829 are not given. From 
the foregoing it will be seen that the total transactions at the 
" treasury department " for seven years, are represented by the 
sum of $2,786 15 in receipts, and the expenditures were l««ss by 
$100 24, with which sum the county entered upon the fiscal 
3'ear 1829. A very considerable portion of the receipts was from 
the sale of New Castle lots, some forty or fifty of which at least 
must have been disposed of up to this date, the agent having at 
one time presented his bill for making twenty deeds. 

In 1833 the receipts had been swelled to $1,593 09, and tlie 
expenditures to $1,520 39. 

Still greater expansion of the county revenues and expendi- 
tures is shown in 1840. They foot up as follows: Receipts, 
$4,522 ; expenditures, $3,085. 

The following table, taken from the duplicate, is interesting 
as an exhibit of the condition of our finances each fifth j'^ear, 
beginning with 1841 : 



Year. 


No. of 1 Total 
Polls. Taxables 


State 
Tax. 


County 
Tax. 


School 
Tax. 


Total 
Taxes. 


Amount 
Delinq't. 


1841 

1846 

1851.... 


2,089 
2,444 
2,6;i3 
2,996 
3,339 
3,221 
3,445 


$2,376,350 
2,722,2:36 
4,:i41,149 
5,949,540 
8,342,950 
9,562,190 

11,041,520 


$11,072 
9,553 
14,563 
13,395 
14,186 
• 26,410 
18,658 


$3,420 
4,664 
9,345 
9,673 
12,853 
98,936 
12,788 


$4,836 
7,449 
9,995 
16,910 
19,413 


$14,575 
15,8U2 
29,148 
52,971 
54,860 

189,188 
98,029 


$739 
297 


1856 

1861 

1866 


749 
1,727 
3,717 
3,454 


1870 





WEALTH AND TAX PER CAPITA. 

The following estimate gives a very nearly correct state- 
ment of the [amount of property for each man, woman, and 
child in the county, for the periods named : 

Taxables per Tax per 
capita. capita. 

1840 $146 60 $0 93 

1850 170 60 1 27 

1860 405 29 2 46 

1870 477 42 4 24 

PER CENT. OF TAXES. 

The following has been the rate of taxation on each $100 
valuation, for the years named, omitting the fractions : 



1841 
1846 
1851 
1856 



$0 51 
58 
68 



1861. 
1865. 
1866. 



88 1870. 



$0 6.-) 
2 15 
1 97 



*)8 HENRY COUNTY; TAST AND PRESENT. 

Tlic above per cent, is on the entire levy for State, county, 
school, road, township sinking fund, and every other tax placed 
upon the duplicate, that for county purposes being often an 
inconsiderable part of the whole. 

From 1S40 to 1850 the amount of taxes levied increased 
pretty regularly, but little more than keeping pace with the 
growth of the county in wealth. About the latter period tlie 
plan of supporting the common scheols by taxation was adopt- 
ed, which, with the additional expenses for better roads, and 
the increased interest on the State debt, etc., etc., conspirtd to 
increase the rate until, in 1855, it had reached a trifle over eighty- 
nine cents on the hundred dollars valuation. The rapid in- 
crease of wealth, however, by 1861, had caused the rate to fall 
©ff again to sixty-live cents on the hundred dollars. From 1861 
to 1865 the increased State tax, the care of soldiers' families, 
and bounties to volunteers, together with the tax for the erec- 
tion of county buildings, increased the rate of taxation be- 
yond all precedent. In 1865 a tax of $212,203, or a trifle over 
two dollars and fifteen cents on the hundred dollars, was 
placed on the duplicate. In 1864 the tax for county purposes 
alone was $42,969 ; in 1865, $101,458 ; in 1866, $98,936 ; in 1867, 
$100,822; in 1868, $75,285; in 1869, $51,495; and in 1870 but 
$12,788. This latter sum, with the accumulateil surplus, it was 
supposed, would be suflicient for the ordinary Avants of the 
county, besides meeting some expenses in completing the Court 
House grounds, finishing the Jail, and re-roofing the County 
Asylum, etc. 

EXTRAORDINARY EXPENDITURES. 

The following are the principal items and amounts of " ex- 
traordinary " expenditures since 1861 : 

Relief to soldiers' families. $-21,099 OlIBoimty bonds and int .$115,153 50 

Expense of military 5'2,iM0 51 |(^oii)t House, Jail, etc — n9,l-18 Gii 

Making a total of ■MS,U1 65 

The large amount of unusual expenditures, together with 
the war prices paid for nearly all the objects of ordinary ex- 
pense, swelled the amount to a sum that, to a Henry county 
citizen, seemed eiioxmous. Just how promptly and cheerfully 



STATISTICAL AND FIN AM I AI. {)*J 

these burdens were paid may be inferred from the fact that the 
total delinquency on a duplicate amounting to $218,775, wa« but 
$4,276, or a trifle les.« than two per cent, of the whole, and more 
than two-thirds of this was afterwards collected. 

It is also worthy of remark that the amount of taxes car- 
ried over from year to year has rarely exceeded one or two per 
cent, of the duplicate, and to-day is only about three and one- 
half per cent, of the wh»le, a sum not much larger than the 
poll-tax on transient citizens, of which every community has 
its share. 

OTHER ITEMS. 

*The expense of Toor for the ten rears ending the 

first day of June, 1870, has been^ $35,G59 36 

An average per year of 3,565 93 

Expenses of county officers for the same period. . . 42,548 05 

An average per year of 4,254 83 

Expense of assessing revenue for ten years, includ- 
ing assessing real e-state .' 19,870 67 

An annual average of 1,957 06 

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. 

The Congressional Districts in which Henry county has^ 
been assoeiated have fluctuated strangely, partly owing", no 
doubt, to the difl:er«nt ratios «f representation; and, of course, 
to some extent, in consecxuence of the shifting tide of emigra- 
tion ; but infinitely more because of the struggle for ascendency 
between political parties, skill in manipulating the material in 
hand, so as to perpetuate the reign of the party in power, lacing 
regarded as the very acme of statesmanship. 

When Elbridge Gerry, a noted Eastern politician, the 
patron saint of this prominent branch of politics, once manip- 
ulated the districts of his State so that an adept in geography 
would be puzzled to fix the boundaries, some one described them 
as "meandering,*' to which another remarked, " Yes, they look 
like they had been Gerrymandered ;" and from that da/' to this 
" Gerrymandered '- and "Gerrymandering" have been recog^ 
nized in current literature as synonyms for political trickery. 

*The expense of Poor includes part payment on an addition to the- 
Poor Farm, while the expense of county offtcers refers only to pay drawn 
direct from the Treasury, and, of course, does not include fees. 



100 HEXRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

A peep at the Indiana Congressional Districts must convince 
tiinj^one that Gerry has had plenty of imitators in the Hoosier 
State. 

Our districts, since 1S32 have been the 6th, 5th, 4th and 0th, 
and have been made up as follows : 

Sixth District, 1S32 to 1S3G— Alleii, Randolph, Delaware, 
Henry, Wayne, Union, Fayette, Rush, Elkhart, and Lagrange. 

Fifth District, 1S36 to 1840— Adamg, Allen, Lagrange, No- 
ble, Fulton, Wabash, Huntington, Jay, Randolph, Grant, Dela- 
ware, Henry, Wayne, Fayette, and Union. 

Fifth District, 1840 to 1844— The same as above, with the 
addition of Steuben, Whitely, De Kalb, Blackford and Wells. 

Fourth District, 1844 to 1852 — Henry, Wayne, Fayette, and 
L^nion. 

Fifth District, 1852 to 18GS— Delaware, Henry, Randolph, 
Wayne, Fayette, and Union. 

Ninth District, 1868— Allen, Adams, Wells, Jay, Blackford, 
Delaware, Randolph, and Henry. 

It will be seen that from 1832 to 1840 the district was, in the 
widest place, nearly seventy miles, by one hundred and fifty in 
length, and comprised nearly 7,000 square miles. In 1840 this 
was suddenly' reduced to about thirty-six miles in width, from 
north to south, by forty-two from east and west, and only com- 
prised 1,100 square miles and four of the twenty counties. In 
1868 another change came upon us, and Henry and seven other 
counties compose tlie district, which is now about forty-two 
miles from east to west, and one hundred and twenty from 
north to south, and containing about 3,800 square miles. 

VOTE OF HENRY COUNTY FOR GOVERNOR. 



1825— Rav 303 

Blackford m SG6 

1828— Ray 479 

Conly •. 68 

Moore ST 584 

1840— Biffger 1579 

HoVard 84f) 2425 

1843— Bigser 1140 

Whitconil). 902 

Derin 191 2233 

1846— Marshall 1180 

Whitcoinl) 814 1994 

1849- Matson 1437 



1849— Wright J2ST 

Cravens 115 2839 

1852— Wright 11X9 

3IcCartv. 1527 

Robinson 351 3057 

1856— Morton. 2486 

W^illard 1188 3674 

1860— Lane 2797 

Hendricks 1328 4125 

1861— Morton 3W8 

McDonald 1123 4131 

1868-Baker 2373 

Uendricks 1416 3789 



STATISTICAL AND FIN.^XCIAL 



101 



The population in 1830 was 0,458; in 1840, 15,128; in 1850,. 
17,G07; in 18G0, 20,119; in 1870, 23,127. 

VOTE OF HENRY COUNTY FOR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS. 

2985 



18.37— James Raridan — 
Jonathan McCarty 

1839— James Karidan. . . . 
Jonathan McCarty 
Wilson Thompson . 

1841— Andrew Cauaday. 

C.B.Smith 5-27 



10S4 :iS52— R. J. IIul)han-d 207 

707 1791 iia54— D. P. Holloway 2037 

815 Josephs. Buckles... S47 2SS4 

571 11856— David Kilarour 2448 

029 2015 Eduuuid Johnson... 1190 3638 

.597 ilSoS— David Kilcrour 1956 

I Lafe Develin 912 2868 



Jonathan McCarty. 
1843— C. B. Smith 

Charles II. Test... 

1&4&-C. B. Smith 

Finley. 



1S3' 



713 
1052 

914 1900 
1332 

^2 2174 



ISOO— George W. Julian... 2686 

W. A. Bickle 1023 3709 

1862— George W. Julian. . . 1701 

Edmund Johnson... 1442 3203 
1864— George W. Julian . . . 2097 

1847— C. B. Smith 12«iS James Brown 1027 3724 

Charles- H. Test 796 2064|1S66— George W. Julian. . . 2954 

1849— S. AV. Parker 1441 ; 31. L. Bundy . ... 1201 4215 

George W. Julian... 1373 2814! 1868— John P. C. Shanks.. 33(7 

1851— S. wr Parker 14:i9 I Robert Lowry 1510 48b7 

George W. Julian... 1433 2872 187a-John P. C. Shanks.. 286-3 

1852— S. W. Parker 1510 [ John Colerick 1315 41 ib 

William Grose 1208 

.Below we give the vote for President, so far as it has been 
possible to obtain it : — 

VOTE OP HENRY COUNTY FOR PRESIDENT. FROM 1832 TO 1868. 

1832-Clav 707 185-i-Pierce 1225 

Jackson 580 Hale 4o6 

l&36-Harrison 1394,1856— Fremont 2^41 

Van Buren 712 1 Buchanan. 1229 

lS40_Harrison 16521 Filmore 49 

Van Buren 839 1860— Lincoln 2726 



1844— Clay 1458 

Polk 1005 

Birney 188 

1848— Taylor 1115 

Cass 1005 

Van Buren 455 

1852— Scott 1559 



Douglass 129<} 

Breckenridge 90 

Bell 16 

1864— Lincoln 3027 

McClellan 1057 

lS6&-Grant 3432 

Seymour 1412 



PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 

Of our beneficent system of common or free schools it is 
not within the limits or scope of this work to treat at length. 
Of the matter as it concerns the county in particular a few facts 
are appropriate. 

The broad assertion that knowledge and learning generally 
diffused throughout a community is essential to the presei-vation 
of a free government (see section 1, article 2, State Constitu- 
tion) meets with as general acceptance in Henry county, per- 
liaps, as in any county in the State. There' is certainly no part 
of the public burdens more clieerfully borne than the very con- 



102 HENRY COUfS^TV; PAST AND PKESENT- 

siderable tax imposetl, and it is many years since we havelieard 
so mncli as one individual object to this tax, which at one time 
was believed by many well-meaning citizens of ours as well as 
other communities to be wrong, in principle at least. At first 
large numbers in every community argued that it was wrong 
to tax the wealthy to educate the poor, or the man without 
children for the benefit of those blessed with a dozen. When 
the question of free schools or no free schools was submitted to 
•our people, in 1851, in the shape of continuing a tax levied by 
-a former legislature, the vote was close indeed, standing : For 
its continuance, 1,411 ; against its continuance, 1,382— a bare ma- 
jority of 28. 

Our people are so well satisfied that the diffusion of know- 
ledge renders them safer in person and property, and that it is 
cheaper to educate thon to take care of criminals and paupers, 
that it is safe to predict that free schools would be sustained to- 
day by a vote of ten to one. The principle lying at the founda- 
tion of our common school law is gratuitous instruction to every 
l)upil, rich and poor alike ; and while the means provided are 
far too limited to meet all the wants of the community, they 
-(3arry inestimable blessings with them, so far as they go. 

In 1852 the Superintendent of Public Instruction, who 
■seemed enthusiastic in the work, looked fondly forward to tlie 
day when the people of the State would raise, by the various 
anethods provided by law", two dollars per child, in order that 
schools might be sustained all the year round. At that time 
the revenue from the various funds only amounted 35 cents per 
«:hild. By the last report of the Superintendent it will be seen 
tliat the total amount of common school funds held in trust in 
this county is $45,483 62, at 7 per cent., on which the interest, 
or {.$3,187 85, is available as a tuition fund. To this is to be 
added the school tax of $10,413 55, which, making allowance fcr 
probable delinquency, gives an available tuition fund of over 
.$20,000 for the county, or about three dollars to each child of a 
suitable age to go to school. 

SCHOOL STATISTICS. 

The following statement of various items connected with 



STATISTICAL AND FINAXC lAL. 



103 



the common school interests of the county will serve to illus 
trate the growth of the system within twenty years : 



*Xumber of children 

Number attending school . 
Xumber of school houses 
Number of male teachers 
Number of female teachers 

Average pay of males 

Average pay of females . 
Length of school, in days 
School fund distributed 
Value of school property 
Tax for building purposes 



1853 

7,416 

3,246 

51 



$22 50 
$12 50 

$5,933 



1856 
7,054 
4,076 

98 
96 

2 

$29 53 

$20 83 

52 

$6,573 



1860 

7,622 

5,30» 

106 

91 

22 

$27 00 

$21 20 

50 

$5,954 



$13,074 $9,742 



1870 
7,046 
5,751 

108 
98 
42 

$55 40 
$38 00 
75 
$15,454 
$96,295 



The following named gentlemen, and perhaps one or two 
others, have served the county as School or County Exam- 
iners : 



W. M. Watkins, 
H. M. Shockley, 
D. Newby. 



J. S. Ferris, T. B. Kedding, 

S. T. Powell, Isaac Kinley, 

K. B. Abbott, Thomas Rogers, 

CHURCHES IN THE COUNTY. 

The following statistics are taken in part from the census 
report. The social statistics of the county taken by the United 
States Marshal for 1870 not having yet been made public, and a 
number of persons on whom we have called for information 
having failed to respond, the statistics for 1870 are only esti- 
mated : 



DENOMINATIONS. 



Baptist 

Christiau 

Friends 

Lutheran 

Methodists . . . 
Presbyterians 
Uuiversalits . 
New Light . . 



dumber. Accommodation. 



1860 

2 

4 

3 

19 

4 
1 



1870 t 
3 

Ill 

1! 
24 

4' 



1800 



1,100 
1,400 
3,950 

800 
7,070 
1,200 

500 



1(3,020 



1870 



Value of Property. 



1860 



1,500 
4,00<J 
5,000 i 
4001 
8,5001 
l,500j 

1,000 



$2,300 
2,400 
8,500 
2,500 

18,800 

2,700 

400 



21.9001 



37,600 



1870 



$4,000 
25,0(X) 
15,000 
4,000 
35,000 
17,500 

1,200 



101,700 



The estimated value of the property for both dates is prob- 
ably too low. The other figures are believ ed to be nearly cor- 

* All children between five and twenty-one years were enumerated 
until 1860, after which only those betweeu 6 and 21 were eniimerated. 



104 



HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 



rect. The church accominoclation of the county, it will be seen, 
nearly equals the entire population. In additiod to those named 
above, we believe the "Tunkers," or German Baptists, have one 
or more congregations in the county ; So with the Wesleyans, 
while the Spiritualists have two good halls and quite a number 
of adherents. 

STOCK AND GRAIN. 

The following table gives, by townships, a few of the lead- 
ing agricultural products of the county, as reported to the cen- 
sus marshals in June last. The Indian corn and wheat was of 
course the crop of 1869, neither of which was a fair average for 
the ten years past. Most of the items were taken from the 
manuscript on file in the Clerk's office, and some mistakes of a 
trivial character may have occurred, as there was no oppor- 
tunity for verifying the result — a re-count. 



TOWNSHIPS. 



Wayne 

Spiceland . . . 
Franklin . . . 

Dudley 

Liberty 

Henry 

Greensboro . 
HaiTison . . . 
Fall Creek . . 
Jefferson . . . 

Prairie 

Stony Creek . 
P>lue River. . 



Horses 












and 


Milch 


Other 


Sheep. 


Swine. 


Wheat 


mules. 


Cows. 


Cattle. 








68:3 


437 


1,179 


936 


3,095 


52,494 


533 


350 


780 


1,640 


2,624 


40,976 


624 


3a5 


754 


1,^344 


2,068 


48,103 


659 


411 


1,022 


878 


3,268 


41,649 


6;^ 


546 


740 


918 


2,798 


65,9a3 


551 


375 


(507 


1,426 


2,278 


35,901 


3:33 


276 


550 


1,064 


2,502 


30,678 


494 


468 


597 


1,470 


2,642 


53,494 


502 


396 


62£ 


1,672 


2,210 


51,632 


483 


336 


425 


1,065 


1,963 


37,289 


722 


493 


920 


1.876 


3,437 


63,500 


413 


267 


553 


1,050 


1,337 


31,737 


4:32 


297 


413 


1,061 


1,663 


38,631 



Corn. 



93,880 
93,230 
%,540 
90,765 

108,553 
83,935 
75,680 

111,010 
96,88;5 
52,325 

111,853 
41,860 
74,567 



1840 AND 1870— THE CONTRAST. 

1840. 

Topulation 15,128 

Farms 

Dwellings 

Manufacturing Establishments 31 

Hands employed 57 

Capital invested $62,000 

Products of Factories $36,300 



Bushels of Indian Corn , 624,543 

Horses and Mules 4,302 

Cattle 10,340 

Milch Cows 

Other Cattle 



1870. 

23,127 

2,211 

4,524 

196 

472 

$460,170 

$774,376 

592,017 

1,131,083 

7,071 

14,183 

5,017 

9,166. 



TURXPIKES. ' 105 

Sheep 9,674 16,400 

Swine 29,497 31,467 

Grist Mills 9 22 

Saw Mills 14 25 

Dry Goods and Grocery Stores 17 85 

Capital invested $30,250 EstVl $300,000 



TURNPIKES. 



Prior to the year 1850 no great advancement had been made 
throughout the county in the way of internal improvements. 
The National or Henry County Turnpike Avas in process of 
construction, andThe necessity for better roads was greatly felt 
by the people of the county. 

In 1852 the General Assembly passed an act authorizing 
the construction of plank, McAdaatized, and gravel roads. 
By this law extensive powers were conferred on companies 
complying with its provisions, and under it, with certain 
amendments made, a number of good pikes were constructed, 
ramifying in all directions, and connecting the remotest parts 
of the county with the seat of justice. 

In 1865 the General Assembly passed an act to enable 
County Commissioners to organize turnpike companies, when 
persons representing three-fifths of the real estate within cer- 
tain prescribed limits petition for the same, and to levy a tax 
for constructing a road, and to provide for the same to be free. 
By this law only the land within three-fourths of a mile of the 
proposed route was affected, and upon the report of a commis- 
sion to survey and estimate the cost of construction, the Auditor 
was required to enter a tax upon said lands according to its 
value, as shown by the books in his office, and without any refer- 
ence to the benefits to be derived from the same, one-third to be 
collected annually, and in the same manner as otlier taxes, and 
it might happen that lands the most remote would be most 
heavily taxed. This law, however, was but an experiment, and 
but little attempt was made to work under it. 

11 



106 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

Thejfollowing companies, however, effected an organization, 
viz: Tlie Blountsville and Circieville, Blountsville and Morris- 
town, Flatrock and Bentonville, Fairview and Lewisville. The 
first-named was soon abandoned by tlie general consent of the 
interested parties. Further particulars will be found in a tabu- 
lar statement near the end of this chapter. But one of the roads 
begun under the law of 1865, w^e believe, was completed under 
that law. 

The law of 1865 was objectionable in many of its features 
and impracticable in its operations, but appears to have prepared 
the way for the law of 1867. This authorized the assessment of 
all lands within one and a half miles on either side, and within 
the same distance of the terminus, when the subscription to 
such route amounts to not less than $800 per m.ile, and is not 
sufficient for the completion of the same, ^hese assessments 
were required to be made by three disinterested free-holders, 
who were required to estimate the benefits likely to accrue to 
each particular tract of land. Under this law a number of roads 
were organized, and the tax placed upon the duplicate of 1867 
with the State and county tax. 

On one or two pikes, however, parties felt aggrieved, and 
a test case was made before Judge Buckles, of the Circuit Court, 
who decided that the assessments had not been legally made, 
for several reasons, among which were, that they had failed to 
view the lands as required, and that all the lands within the 
limits prescribed had not been listed. 

In view of this decision the assessments on other roads M^ere 
considered illegal, and no great effort was made by the compa- 
nies to have the tax collected ; but the Commissioners were pe- 
titiontd to have the Assessors brought back and make their 
assessments in conformity with the law. 

The Blue River Turnpike, of Prairie township, was an ex- 
ception. The first installment of about .$3,000, being mostly 
paid in, was deemed suflicient, and the second and third install- 
ments were never placed on the duplicate. 

The amount of turnpike tax collected for 1867 on assess- 
ments declared illegal was $16,074 04, out of a total of $27,221 9^ 
on the duplicate. 

During the year 1867, while Major Grubbs was Treasurer, 



TURNPIKI':S 



lor 



no part of the gravel road tax collected was paid over to the 
officers of the several companies, but remained a part of the 
balance in the Treasury, June 1, 1SG8. 

All tlie roads of 1867, except the one mentiontMl above, were 
re-assessed in 186S, and the tax again placed on the duplicate. 
At first the assessment were placed on the same duplicate with 
other taxes; but in 1868, by order of the Auditor of State, they 
were placed on a separate duplicate. Below will l)e found an. 
interesting tabular statement : 

UNDER THE LAW OF 1865. 

Miles Tax levied 
Bloiintsville and Morristowu -^U I •t4,<3ST 27 



Flatrock and Bentoiiville 5 

Fail-view and Lewisville 1^2 



11,478 91 
2,790 33 



UNDER THE LAW OF 186< 



Eeecli Grove Union 2)^ 

Duck Creek and Southern 2 

Flat Rock Valley 3 

Greensboro and New Castle Junction 2 

Franklin Junction 4 

Flatrock and Symon's Creek 5}i 

Northern Junction 7,14 

Hillsboro and Franklin 7 

Northwestern 6 

New Castle and Flati'ock 9 

New Castle and ]Muncie 4>4' 

Union and Blue River 2 

Southern 6 

Sugar Creek 2 

Bulphur Springs and Cadiz 5% 

Sulphur Springs and Western 43i 

Knightstown and Middletown 10 

Northwestern Extension 3I4 

Middletown and Daleville 1 32 

PUT ON DUPLICATE IN 1861) UNDER THE LAW OF 1869. 



Miles Tax levied 
$4,812 99 



2.(i22 12 
8.172 13 
4.228 37 
5,04(} 54 
9.417 38 

13,3:^2 57 
8,317 09-' 

13.324 OS 

10,723 67 
5,397 86" 
2,243 61 
8,453 88' 
723 12^ 
8,215 38 
7,197 4? 

IG.IOO 04 
6.458 46 
1,277 67 



Miles Taxleived 



.t(i35 4:3 
3,153 68 
1.052 00 
6,075 50 
1,507 00 
11,574 00 
9,0T2 O^t 
6,629 ; 



Dunreith gravel road 1 u 

Middletown and Range Line Hf^ 

Blountsville and Smithlield 1 

Blountsville 4% 

Blountsville and W^indsor 114 

Prairie, G. E., and Franklin 8»i^ 

Blountsville and Millville Extension 6j; 

Blountsville Extension 4}l 

DUPLICATE OF 1870, LAW OF 1869. 

-Miles Tax levied 

Rush and Henrv ( ountv Road 3 | 5,9*Ki 68 

Old State Road .*. ." 4}^ | 5,:i54 Oj 

OTHER TURNPIKES. 

The above table only refers to such tnrnpilces as here built 
under what is donominated the Gravel Road Laws. The fol- 



108 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PP.ESEXT- 

lowing is nearly a complete list with the length of the other 
gravel roads of the county or parts of roads in the county : 

MILES 

Henry County Turnpike (National Road) 20 

Knightstown& Warrington T 

Knightstown & Greensboro 7 

Ogden & Rushville 1 

Independent Turnpike 2,1^ 

New Castle & Spiceland 10 

Union Turnpike 4 

Lewisville & Flatrock 3 

Hopewell & Flatrork 6 

New Castle & Dublin 13 

Northern & Branches 14 

New Castle & Cadiz. t 

Cadiz & Western 3 

Greensboro & Cadiz 5 

Spiceland & Blueriver 3 

Spiceland & Greensboro. 3>^ 

Mechanicsburg & Middleton 4)4 

Cadiz & Mechanicsburg 5 

Sulphur Spring & Muncie 2>^ 

Sulphur Spring & Summit 2^ 

Greensboro & Western 4 

Gx-eensboro & GrantCity 3 

It is proper to state that in a fewinstanees we are not quite 
sure of having given the exact name of the road, but may have 
given, instead, that of the points connected, and it is also proba- 
ble that all the pikes have not been named at all, since branches 
and junctions or connecting links are being constructed so 
rapidly as to render it next to impossible to keep pace with 
them. In some road districts the plan of grading and graveling 
a small portion of the common roads each year is being adopted 
insomuch that in a few years free, well constructed pikes 
will form quite an important feature of our road system. 
H(.nry county may well boast of her net work of turnpikes 
ramifying every part of the county, unsurpassed as they are in 
extent or excellence by any countv in the State. 



THE LITERATURE OF THE COUNTY. 



That Henry county has little to boast of in the way of lit- 
erary excellence 's most true. Her honor lies more in the aver- 
age intelligence of her citizens than in any cases of exceptional 



THE LITERATURE OF THE COUNTY. 109 

merit. But it must not be inferred from thi^that we are desti- 
tute of men and women of refined taste and good literary capa- 
bilities. Such is not tlie tact. Tiie great success of local liter- 
ary societies, especially before the war, and the avidity with 
which the i3eople in many localities seek after the best publica- 
tions that flow from the press, and their eagerness to hear the 
best lecturers and speakers, prove them to be appreciative and 
cultivated in a high degree. 

It is not to be presumed, either, that so old a county as this 
has not produced its literary aspirants and amateurs, and, like 
almost every other community in the United States, the efforts 
of our orators, essayists, and bardlings began with the f rst 
newspaper, and have never ceased, except when the county 
would be left for a short time without one of these literary ex- 
ponents. 

The names of those who have conducted the various county 
newspapers appear in another place, so that it is not necessary 
to catalogue them here. Of these, Alfred J. Cotton, for a brief 
time connected with the Nev} Castle Banner in 183G, made some 
pretense to literature in other fields, and but a few years since 
he published in the Courier, and almost every other local paper 
in the State, a poem of considerable length, addressed " To si 
Snow Bird." The rhyme had little merit aside from showing 
the genial poetic spirit and warm-iieartedness of the old man. 
His autobiography, published in 185S, contains most of his 
poetic effusion?, but will be remembered by our citizens, a num- 
ber of whom have copies, more for the most refreshing egotism 
peeping out from every page than for any other merit. The 
author introduces the work with a likeness of himself and lady, 
and charmingly discourses about the intellectuality of his own 
physiognomy and the grace and charms of his lady. He appears 
to have had a horror of being forgotten, and would not be 
surprised if rising generations should yet be tauglit that the 
" Man in the moon '' was Judge Cotton. He signed himself The 
Rev. Judge Alfred Johnson Cotton. 

Waltek Edgp:rtox, of Spiceland, in his earlier days and 
the early days of the anti-slavery movement, wrote articles of 
great force for the anti-slavery papers, and some for papers that 
were not anti-slavery. These latter were often of so much 



110 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PIIESENT. 

force US to be denied piiblieutioii. He has also, from time to 
time, contributetl many articles of note on doctrinal and scien- 
tific topics to the religious and other papers of the day, and is 
the author of a work of several hundred pages, giving a " His- 
tory of the Separation " in the Society of Friends on account 
of the anti-slavery movement. He also edited, we believe, 
"The Journal of Charles Osborn," a distinguished minister of 
the Society. 

John W. Grubbs, now of Richmond, for a dozen years 
connected with the press of this cpunty, commenced his 
career when very young, but, from long continuance and perse- 
verance, gained a reputation as one of the most skillful and 
caustic political editors of the State. We presume that his 
" situation '' in the wholesale house of Howard & Grubbs is 
more lucrative, if not more congenial. 

Isaac Parker, a man a few years Mr. Grubbs' senior, some 
times contributed to the Indiana /S'u??, and wrote political letters 
of a local character for the Indianapolis Journal, which attracted 
much comment. A poem of his, written for the Sun in 1840, is 
distinctly remembered. It was entitled "Johnson's Sukey,"' 
and was intended as a burlesque on Colonel Richard M. John- 
son, for having (as the Whigs asserted) a black wife, Johnson 
leing then the Democratic candidate for Vice President. A 
har.dsome reward would be paid for a copy of that old rhyme. 

M. L. BuNDY, of Xew Castle, has, for more than twent}' 
years, been what might be termed a literary amateur, writing 
letters foi- the press and articles on numerous topics of interest 
with moi'e than ordinary ease and grace. Though he might 
have won greater distinction had he labored more with his pen, 
it is doubtful Avhether it would have yielded him such returns 
of golden gains as he has received from other pursuits. 

Russell B. Abbott, at one time Principal of the Xew 
Castle Academy, is a man of line culture, who has written much 
excellent pi-ose, some of which deserves to live after its author 
shall have mouldered into dust. 

HuLBAH WiCKERSHAM, a daughter of the old anti-slavery 
veteran, Caleb Wickersham, wrote many able articles on the 
topics of the day, especially in behalf of freedom for the slave. 
She at one time conducted a correspondence with the noted 



^ THE LITERATURE OF THE COUNTY. Ill 

Elizabeth Pease that awakened much interest among her anti- 
slaverj' associates. Slie died many j'^ears since, in the vigor of 
early youth, while that which she had accoaiiplished was but 
the promise of what might liave been in the future. 

William Edgertox has long been widely known to a cer- 
tain class of readers as an able essayist and original thinker, 
especially on controversial and theological subjects. His style is 
characterized by logical force, depth, and earnestness, rather 
than by ornament ; and his easays must always command the 
serious attention of thoughtful people. His popularity would 
have been greater, though his usefulness might have been less, 
bad he not taken upon himself the thankless job of stirring up 
■certain theological dry bones. 

Sarah Edgkrton, sister of Wm. Eugerton, has also pro- 
duced many articles of decided merit. 

Nancy KiNLEY,the first wife of Major Kinley, wrote verses 
full of the inspiration born of a loving heart and generous dis- 
position. An early grave closed the music of a harp that might 
have been attuned to higher song. 

Isaac Kinley, who won the rank of Major in the late war, 
has perhaps performed more thorough and misterh'- literary 
labor than any other man claimed as a citizen of the count3\ 
Some of our readers will recollect a lecture he once delivered on 
tJie force of the English language, in which, when he came to 
treat of the strong points in Shakespeare, Scott, and Byron, the 
liearer was carried along as by a master-hand. Of course all 
his auditors did not thus enter into the spirit of the composition, 
which was without any eftbrt after elocutionary eftect. He has 
w^ritten a few fine poems and many essays and short articles of 
rare merit. Among his poems, "Astrea -' and "I forgive" are 
still deservedly popular. In the summer and autumn of 1869 
he, in company with his wife, visited Europe and reported the 
r-esults of their tour in a series of most enjoy al)le letters to 
Julian's Badical. "The Beech Tree," the only Henry county 
magazine, although it died on Mr. Kinley's hands several years 
ago, has left a host of pleasant memories, and doubtless, if again 
revived, would be much better sustained. It is to be hoped Mr. 
Kinley will see fit to embrace the best of his poems, sketches, and 
memories in book form for the gratification of his numerous 



112 JIENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT 

friends. In Mr. Kinley's capacity as legislator and one of our 
early anti-slavery politicians, he lias made speeches worthy of 
preservation, but want of space forbids further notice. 

Jehu T. Elliott, wliose long and successful career at tlie 
bar and on the bench has proven liim one of our most vig- 
orous thinkers, and although writing but little outside of a few 
political articles, he deserves mention as a man of generous 
self-culture. 

Miss Josie V. Hickmak has for some years past been 
a frequent contributor to some of the newspapers and maga- 
zines of the country. She writes essays, stories, and poems with 
equal facility, and lias been connected witli Mrs. Bland in coji- 
ducting the Ladies* Own Magazine, at Indianapolis, for some 
time past. This magazine announced, nearly a year ago, that 
Miss Hickman had a volume of poems in course of preparation. 

Clarksox Davis, for several years Principal of Spieeland 
High School, is one of the best essayists and lecturers in the 
State. There is a charm about his writings that renders them 
exceedingly popular. Like Major Kinley, a tour through some 
of the European IStates has furnislied the theme for many pleas- 
ant lectures. Our people may well hope to see and hear more 
from his pen. 

Thomas R. Stani'Oi;i) is one of those men Avhom it is not 
well to forget, in going back to the past. He served our people 
faithfulh' for many years, though we do not now remember but 
a single literary effort from his pen — a farewell to his constit- 
uents, written at the close of a long and useful career. 

Mrs. Bell Stanford used to contribute verses to the 
Courier that betraj^ed a kind heart and considerable taste. 

C. D. Morgan, Esq., in addition to his reputation as tem- 
perance lecturer, lawyer, and banker, has produced a few good 
addresses on literary and historical subjects. Mrs. CD. Mor- 
gan is also, we believe, the author of a capital burlesque on the 
love-sick stories that craze the brains of many Inodern misses. 

Mr. E. E. Parker, once of the county, has published, in 
Arthurs Home Magazine and other papers and periodicals, a 
number of poems exhibiting a high order of poetic talent. 

Joshua H. Mellett and Jajies Brown, though making 
little pretensions to literature, have each won a lucrative prac- 



THE LITERATURE OF THE COUNTY. 113 

tice at the bar, and several of our younger practitioners are 
following in their wake. Without a good degree of literary- 
ability of a certain kind, success in this field is scarcely attain- 
able. 

Of Mr. B. S. Parker, whose many essays, sketches, and 
poems, published, as they have been, from East to West, we 
shall not speak at length. He is still amongst us and still writ- 
ing as opportunity ofi'ers, and undoubtedly Avields the readiest 
pen of any writer in the county. The close friendship known 
to have existed between him and the writer of this book for 
years renders it difficult to speak of his varied and extensive 
labors in such .terms as their merits deserve without, perhaps, 
having somewhat set down to the score of friendship and par- 
tiality, but the writer of the following needs no encomiums 
from us : « 

" So upward through darkness and sorrow, 
Through pleasures that halo the night, 
We grow, till we reach the to-morrow; 
Expand, till we enter the light." 

Albert Hodson, the young and enthusiastic tourist whose 
letters from the high-ways and by-ways of Europe to The 
Mepublicon, during the past and present years, are attract- 
ing much attention, is a writer of much promise. He has the 
elements of a most successful tourist, and the rare faculty of not 
only seeing all that he passes, but of giving most apt and vivid 
pen-pictures of what he does see. 

L. R. Woods, for some time a Henry county boy, is prov- 
ing liimself a lii"^t-class correspondent, as his frequent letters to 
the county papers attest. 

IS'atkan Newby, one of the faculty of the State Normal 
School, born and reared in the county, is the autlior of many 
creditable articles, that have appeared in print from time to 
time, on scientific and familiar topics. 

Benjamin Franklin, a noted minister of the "Christian" 
denomination, was bred, if not born, in the county, and has, for 
a number of j'^ears, been largely engaged in literary labors, 
mainly in the realms of denominational and controversial theol- 
ogy.' He began his career, we believe, at Milton, W^ay ne county, 
by publishing a small serial, entitled the Western lieformer. 
This was soon merged into a i)aper owned by Alexander HalL 



114 HENRY COUNT r; PAST AND PRESENT. 

•called the Proclamation^ and this was soon conneeted with the 
Christian Age, owned by D. S. Burnett, and published at Cin- 
-cinnati. Burnett was soon bought out, and the name changed 
to the Christian Bevieio, under which name it is still edited by 
Mr. Franklin. 

Adolphus Rogers, the accomodating Deputy Treasurer of 
the county, is a young man of most excellent literary attain- 
ments. He occasionally furnishes articles for the county papers. 
To kim we are indebted for a great portion of the article on 
turnpikes. 

John C. Teas, now residing at Carthage, Mo., was long 
known in this count}' as one well posted in literary matters, 
and, altliough seldom appearing in print, had few superiors in 
such literary productions as grace a literary society. 

Rev. M. Mahin, presiding' elder for the M. E. Church, is a 
resolute "defender of the faith" and literary man of fine attain- 
ments. His field of labor has been almost exclusively of a 
denominational character. 

James G. Burk, one of our " gallant dead," was a literar}' 
man of some taste and the editor and publisher of a book of 
seyeral hundred pages, entitled, " First Quarrels in Married 
Life." 

Dr. Joel Reed, almost the first Henry county physician, 
was a frequent contributor to the county papers in former 
years. He ^^'as a man of good'alility, and the generous good- 
ness of his heart impressed itself upon his composition. 

Benjamin Wrigley, once an editor of the Courier, had a 
rare facult.y of imitation of some of the choice songs 
of the language, and was the author of a few meritorious 
poems. He believed that people in general knew nothing; 
lacked faith in himself and every bod}' and so run his paper 
down to naught and left the county. 

Hannah Maria Parker, of Wayne township, wrote sev- 
eral meritorious poems in blank yerse. One entitled "The 
Exile of Scio," telling the woes of a noble Greek banished 
from his native land, gaye eyid^nce of a mind of more than 
ordinary poetic insight. 



THE LITEPwATURE OF THE COUNTY- 115 

Prof. Elijah Evax Edwards flitted into our county once 
and rested the soles of his feet at New Castle a tew months, 
but this fiict hardly gives us the right to claim that gifted bird 
of song as a Henry county man. 

Dora J. Gilbert, (afterward Williams,) when at college 
and a few years afterward produced some articles that at- 
tracted considerable attention on account of their promise of 
future excellence, but death closed her career before the full 
scope of her abilities were indicated. 

Mrs. Jennie G. Kikley, though scarcely to be claimed a 
Henry county writer, is the author of articles in prose and 
Terse of rare merit. Her notes on European travel, published 
in the ScJiool Journal, cannot fail to please everyone. 

The Misses Edwards, Elizabeth and Mary Jane produced 
before the local literary societies essays of considerable merit, 
some of wdiicli found their way into print, and may yet be 
seen in old and well thumed scrap-books. 

Ezra Spencer, of Greensboro, has been for several years 
recognized as a pleasant writer of sketches and essays, and a 
general advocate of temperance and moral reform. 

But our waning space forbids more than a " bare mention " 
of many who are more or less known m literary fields, like 

Wm. Haughtox, an eminent minister of the Society of 
Friends, and a lecturer on scientific and kindred topics of no 
mean repute ; or of 

S. S. Bennett, the " Learned Blacksmith," efUcient Auditor, 
preacher, and most forcible lecturer and orator in the county. 

Besides these, we might mention a host of " locals " and re- 
porters whose talents are being called into active play by the 
requirements of the public press. Of these we will merely 
mention John W. Shockley, of Blue Eiver township; Flem. 
Ratcliff, of Dunreith ; O. H. Bogue, of Dudley ; Oll :N^ixon 
and J. B. Antrim, of Spiceland ; and a host of others of more 
or less celebrity, whose bright and shining lights have been 
partially hidden by the thin veil of a nam de plume. 

Of the present county editors it is not our purpose to speak. 
They are still on the war path, and they must " fight it out on 
that line." 



116 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

And thus ends the chapter, while many as noted as some 
mentioned may have been omitted, for the reason that they 
have been unknown to us, or we cannot now think of their 
names. Perliaps at some not very distant day some one will 
take hold of the matter and make a much better showinf? for 
the county than it has been possible for us to do. 



COUNTY NEWSPAPERS. 



Printing is styled " The art preservative of all arts f ' but a 
little research after copies of the earlier newspapers of thi& 
county has led to the conclusion that newspapers, however po- 
tent as chroniclers of passing events, pass away almost as rap- 
idly as the events themselves. To find sufficient data for giving 
the name and politics of the newspapers of the county — when 
they were founded, how long each lived, and by whom edited 
and published, was supposed to be quite an easy task, while the 
effort has shown it to be one of the most difficult we have had 
to perform. Where certainty was exiwcted, only guesses and 
conjectures were met with. 

THE FIRST TAPER. 

The first newspaper of the county was issued at Knights- 
town as early as 1831 or 1832, Grant, editor, and John 

Mitchell, foreman of the office. Grant was succeeded by 
James Silvers, and he by J. T. TjANGdon, each for a short 
time. The name of this paper is variously reported by tliose 
who remember it well, as the Kiwjhtstovm Banner, Knuihtstoion 
Sun, and Indiana Sun. The weight of the testimony we be- 
lieve to be in favor of its having been called the Knightstcmn 
Sun, although this would necessitate its having been suspended 
for several years, or for several considerable periods, as the Sun 
was only in its third year in 1839. 

THE INDIANA SUN. 

Leaving the debatable question as to what the first paper 



COUNTY NEWSPAPERS. 117 

Su7i, or revived the old paper. The fact that the list of letters 
remaining in the post office at Knightstown was advertised in 
the Bichmond Palladium in 1835, is pretty good evidence that 
this county was without a paper at the time. About the first 

of the year 1839 IIannu.m and J. W. Grubbs purchased 

the Sun for $600, seemingly a large sum at the time. Before the 
purchase money was all paid, Ilannum left unceremoniously 
for parts unknow^n, leaving J. W. Grubbs in possession of the 
field. On the 10th of June, 1841, Mr. Grubbs changed the 
name to Indiana Courier, and about the first of December fol- 
lowing removed Avith it to Xew Castle, " solely for the conven- 
ience of the people of Henry county." He continued its pub- 
lication until about, the middle of the year 1846, when he sold 
to C. V. Duggins. 

About the first of January, 1850, Mr. Duggins died, and 
the Courier was published by his executor, Mr. James Com- 
STOCK, until in March, 1850, when J. W. Grubbs again became 
proprietor. Geokge W. Lexnard purchased the office in Jan- 
uary, 1853, and, after a few months, found a partner in Colbman 
KoGERS, who assisted in conducting the paper the balance of the 
year. Xation & Ellison became its proprietors in January, 
1854, with H. C. Grubbs as editor-in-chief, and D. Nation 
•" local." Mr. Grubbs, however, soon retired and D. Nation was 
promoted. 

Benjamin Wrigley purchased the office before the 
<ilose of the year 1854, and took in as partner a Mr. Lyle; 
but before the close of the year 1855 they disposed of the office 
to Chas. E. Harwood and T. B. Bedding, who conducted it for 
about one year, and turned it over to E. B. Martindale, who 
also seems soon to have tired of it, and sold out to I. S. Drakk 
early in 1857. In 1859 Mr. Drake secured as partner Walton 
3P. Goode, who became sole proprietor about a year afterward, 
and continued alone in the business till November, 1862, when 
the office was sold to E. Pleas, who conducted the paper until 
the first of March, 1869, a period of six years and four months, 
when it was sold to M. E. Pleas and H. H. Hoover. This firm 
continued the publication of the paper until the 15th of May, 
1870, when M. E. Pleas sold his interest to A. G. Wilcox, who, 
in connection with Mr. Hoover, continued its publication until 



118 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

som3 time in January, 1871, when Mr. Hoover sold his interest 
to Calvin R. Scorr, which is the last of the changes we have 
to chronicle in the dnvniUs personce of that paper. Our space 
is too limited for much m 3re than a catalogue of the changes 
in managers. 

The Sun^ which was the forerunner of the Cncrier (the vol- 
ume and number of the formar being for some time retained in 
the latter), was what is termed a five-column paper, 21 by 32 
inches in dimensions, the columns being about one-tliird wider 
than at present. For several years after the change of name,- 
the size was bat little changed, thougli treated to an occasional 
new dress. In 1850 the columns were reduced in width about 
one-half an inch, so as to admit of six columns to the page, and 
in 1851 it was enlarged to a 24 by 36 sheet, seven columns tc 
the page, and in 1858 again enlarged to 22 by 38, but in war 
times (May, 1861), it was reduced in size, by Mr. Goode, to six 
columns, and a sheet 22 by 32. At the end of the year 1863 it 
was again enlarged, by E. Pleas, to seven columns, or a sheet 
24 by 36, and further enlarged, three years later, and made an 
eight-column paper, and while owned by Wilcox & Hoover it 
was still further enlarged and made a nine-column paper. 

The politics both of the Sun and Courier were Whig so long 
as that party remained to be battled for. Soon after the demise 
of that party the paper seemed to have Know-Nothing procliv- 
ities; but upon the organization of the Republican party it 
espoused the cause of Republicanism. 

NEW CASTLE BANNER. 

The first paper at the county seat was established in the 
latter part of the year 1835, or early in 1836, and christened the 
New Castle Banner, J. B. Swayze publisher, and Rev. Alfred 
Johnson Cotton, editor. The third number was not issued 
imtil March 31, 1836, at which time they say : 

We liave the pleasure to state that, notwithstanding we issued our 
first number of the Banner without a subscription list, we issue the third 
with a list rising 300. We confidently anticipate 500 ere long. 

Notwithstanding these brilliant prospects, it only reached 
its twenty-sixth number by the 20th of October, and was sus- 
pended soon afterward. Mr. Swayze started a paper at Hagers- 
town, Indiana, and Mr. Cott* n siait up his house and went to 
Dearborn county, and " stood a poll" for Judge and was elected. 



COUNTY NEWSPAPERS. IIS 

The Banner professed to be independent in politics, and to give 
the good from all sides, while the editor and publisher both 
voted the Democratic ticket. 

THE DEMOCRATIC BANNER. 

The next attempi: at a Democratic paper in this county was 
made by J. Fenwick Hexry, about the first of August, 1851. 
It was started as a six-column sheet, 21 by 30, and Avas orna- 
mented by a wonderfu-ll}'" imposing wood cut head. In about 
eighteen months, the erratic J. F. H. sold the concern to Nel- 
son Abbott, who enlarged it to a seven-column paper, 24 by 
36, but soon changed the name to " Nevj Castle Banner,''^ re- 
ducing the size to six-column page and 22 by 32 sheet. It was 
conducted with considerable vigor. In 1854, a literary page 
was conducted under the nom de plume of De Wit Mullinix, 
real name not now remembered, though we believe the same 
writer was employed on a Cincinnati magazine, the department 
under his charge being regarded by some as equal to the Knick- 
erbocker Papers. The Banner was issued as a small semi- weekly 
for some time, but its demise, which occurred about 1855, was 
probably hastened by the stand taken on the Nebraska question. 
The Baltimore platform and resistance to anti-slavery agitation 
appears to have been its " pole star." 

HENRY COUNTY TIMES. 

In September, 1865, R. F. Brown, for some time publisher 
ol a paper in Connersvile, Ind., removed his office to Xew Cas- 
tlej and commenced the publication of a seven-column sheet, 
styled the Henr;/ County Tirnes^ the first number of which was 
dated October 13, 1865. At the end of a month, he removed his 
office to Knightstown, and the fourth number appeared as the 
Henry County Weekly Times. At the end of about five months, 
Brown "pulled up stakes" and went to Western Illinois, and, a 
few weeks later, to Lamar, Missouri, in search of a more appre- 
ciative community. 

THE HENRY COUNTY INDEPENDENT. 

This paper was started at New Castle, in April, 1867, by 
Hoover &,SHOPr, and, after reaching the twenty-fourth num- 
ber, was sold to a joint stock company of Democrats, by whom 
it was managed for five weeks, when it was placed under the 
control of Leonard II. Miller, who changed the name to 



120 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 

about the 1st of January, 1868. Miller continued the paper 
until some time in April, when he became so badly demoralized 
that the company procured the services of a Mr. S. S. Darling^ 
of Hamilton, O., who was a young man of more promise than 
performance. He changed the name of the paper to 

THE NEW CASTLE EXAMINER, 

and ran on quite lively till some time in August, when an ex- 
amination showed that he too had decamped, and an arrange- 
ment was made with L. L. Dale, Esq., to conduct the paper. 

In May following, Mr. Dale removed the office to Cam- 
b ridge City, to fill a vacancy caused by the sale of the Demo- 
cratic organ at that place to the Republicans. Tl.e name was 
changed to Democratic Times, and after being published there 
for about five months, the office was again established at New 
Castle, and in December last sold to L. E. Bundy and Wm. 
Johnson, the present proprietors. 

THE KNIGHTSTOWN BANNER, 

Now in the fifth year, has started at Knightstown in the spring 
of 1867 by John A. Deem, who continues to conduct it. It 
was at first a small sheet, but has been enlarged from time to 
time and is now quarto in form and printed on a sheet 25 by 
36 inches, and seems to be well sustained by the citizens of 
Knightstown and vicinity. In politics it has been radically 
Republican. 

THE CITY CHRONICLE, 

Also published at Knightstown, was originated by J. C. Rid- 
DELL early in the year 1870. It is a fair-sized sheet but has 
been so irregularly in its appearance as to leave us in doubt as 
to its permanance. 

THE HENRY COUNTY REPUBLICAN. 

This is a nine column paper 26 x 42 inches in size. Its pub- 
lication was commenced August 4, 1870, by E. and M. E. Pleas. 
Although there were already four papers publislied in the 
county, the Republican still in its first year has attained to more 
than an average circulation. In politics it is radically Repub- 
lican. 

THE KNIGHTSTOWN CITIZEN. 

Started in 1858 or 9, we believe, by T. D. Clarkson, and 



BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 121 

afterward conducted by Will C. Moreau, and then by A. M. 
Woodin was discontinued about the latter part of 1861. It was 
a fair-sized sheet, Republican in politics. Not being in posses- 
sion of a copy or ahy very definite information about it, the 
notice must be correspondingly brief. 

THE BEECH TREE. 

This was a 32 page literary magazine, conducted by Isaac 
Kinley, and started, we believe, in 1858. It was discontinued 
after a few months for want of a sufficiently generous support 
such as its merits really demanded. 

THE WESTERN RURALIST, 

An agricultural magazine, published at Knightstown in 1865, 
by John A. Deem. It was only published a tew months when 
Mr. Deem went to Plainfield, Indiana, and engaged in the pub- 
lication of a w^eekly paper. 

ADVERTISING SHEETS. 

In addition to the regular newspapers of the county, sev- 
eral little papers intended chiefly as advertising sheets with 
enough reading only to make them go, have from time to time 
been projected. Such were the Knightstown Trade Journal of 
1867, M. H. Ghappell Publisher, and The Henry Oounty Adver- 
tiser^ recently issued by J. B. Martindale. 



benevolp:nt societies. 



Tlic trganizations known as " benevolent societies'' form 
too important a feature of our "domestic institutions" to be 
over-looked, although want of room compels us to pass from 
the subject with little more than a notice of the strength, and 
date of the organization of each lodge. 

MASONS. 

The oldest Masonic organization in the county is that of 
Knightstown, which, from the following table it wiU toe seen was 
formed nfar thirty years ago. 



122 



HENRY COUNTY: PAST AND PRESENT. 



NAJIK AND NO. OF LODGE, AND TIME OF MEBTING. 

F. and A. M. 

Goldefi Rule (Knightstown), No. 16 

Lewisville, No. 72 

Ne^ Castle, No. 91, Saturday on or after full moon . . 
Greenslioro, No. 175, Friday on or before full moon 
Middletown, No. 271, Saturday on or before full moon 

Cadiz, No. 277 

Cadiz. No. 277, reorganized 

Blountsville, No. mi. Sat. on or before full moon 

Mechanicsburg, No. 392, Sat. on or after full moon . . 
H. H. Winslow, No. 27, (col'd), first Friday in month . 
Chapter. 

Knightstown, No. 33 

New Castle, No. 50, Saturday after full moon 

Council. 

Criptic (Knightstown,) No. 29 • 

Commandary. 
Wm. Hacker (Knightstown), No. 9 



Date of 
organiza- 
tion. 
1844 
1848 
1850 
1855 
1861 
1862 
1870 
1867 , 
1869 



1&56 
1864 



1864 
1866 



Present 
strength 

114 
37 

m 

41 
52 
49 

29 
43 

27 
12 

84 
65 

50 

53 



ODD FELLOWS. 

This brotherhood is the most numerous fraternity in the 
county, and "Fidelity Lodge," at New Castle, takes precedence 
in point of age, as will be seen by the table below : 



NAME AND NO. OF LODGE, AND TIME OF MKETTNfl. 
I. O. O. F. 

Fidelity (New Castle), No. .59 Saturday . . 
Fall Creek (MMdletown), No. 97, Tuesday 

Knightstown. No. 99, Tuesday 

Wildey (Lewisville), No. 191, "Thursday 

Ogden, No. 902, Saturday 

Cadiz, No. 237. Saturday 

Greensboro, No. 247, Saturday 

Sulphur Springs, No. 249, Saturday. * 

Spiceland, No. 266, Friday 

Blountsville, No. 395, Saturday 

Mechanicsburg. No. 327, Thursday . 

Dunreith, No. 341, Wednesday 

Encampments. 

Blue River, No. 48 (Knisrhtst'n), 1st & 3d Wednesday 

Henry, No. 69 (New Castle), 2d and 4th Wednesdays . 

Farnsworth, No. 91 )Lewisville), 1st and 3d Fridays 

Degree of Rebekah. 

Wildey, No. 4 (Cadiz), every other Monday 

Charity. No. 19 (New Castle), 1st and 2d Tuesdays • 
Social No. 7 (Knightstown), 1st and 3d Wednesdays 
Aretas (Lewisville; 



Date of 
organ iza 
tion. 
1848 
1851 
1851 
1857 
1858 
1860 
1865 
1865 
1866 
1868 
1869 
1870 

1&56 

" 1865 

1869 

1F68 
1869 
1869 

1870 



Present 

strength. 

84 
63 
123 
40 
45 
33 
51 
31 
40 
38 
21 
41 

100 
43 
39 



THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OP GOOD TEMPLARS 

Sets forth as its principal object to "reclaim the fallen" victims 
of intemperance and "save others frond falling," its objects be- 
ing substantially the same as that of the Sons of Temperance, 
now obsolete in this part of the State, and in this philanthropic 
work males and females are admitted on terms of perfect equal- 
ity. 



BAKKS. 



123 



NAME AND NO. OF JjODGB AND TIME OF MEETING 
•l. 0. G. T. 

^reeasl?oro, l>Jo. 4:3, Wednesday, (reorganized) 

Ogdeu, No. 318, Wednesday 

Knightstown, No. 277 . 

Mechanicsburg, No. 333, Friday 

Spicelaiid, No. 547, Saturday 

Middletown, No. 682 

Dunreith, No . 740, Saturday 



Date of 
organiza 
tion. 
1871 
1865 
1361 
1866 

la&r 

18T0 
1870 



Preseat 
strength. 

21 



as 



BANKS. 



Henry coanty, until within a few years, was so essentially 
rural, and the pursuits of our people of such a character, that 
banks were not looked upon as in any way necessary to the 
growth or progress of the county. It is presumed that capital- 
ists surveyed the field with equal indifference, as no serious ef- 
fort was made to start a banking house within our borders prior 
to the introduction of the national banking system. Under the 
old State Bank system, but a limited number of branches were 
permitted, and this county was in the Richmond District ; while 
our capitalists generally had a very judicious fear of the "wild 
cat" system, and probably saved money and reputation by giv- 
ing it a wide berth. 

It is not to be inferred from the foregoing that no one in 
the county, during its infancy, engaged in the loaning of mon- 
ey, as almost every neighborhood had its money kings who 
were ready to discount good paper on private terms. Fif- 
teen or twenty years since, an "old farmer" who could scrape 
together from $3,000 to $5,000, ready money, was regarded as a 
moneyed man and on the high road to fortune, if not already ar- 
rived at that ever-shifting point. One of the most noticeable 
effects of the4ate war was to so change the industries and finan- 
cial wants of communities as to make the establishment of sev- 
eral banks seem desirable, where the want of so much as one 
was not seriously felt before. Accordin<jly in January, 1865, 
.a» association was formed, and 



124 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF NEW CASTLE 

Went into operation soon afterward, with a'capital of $100,000 
and a circulation of $90,000, as the law permits. Its career has 
been quite a successful one, the stock commanding 25 per cent, 
premium, and the semi-annual dividends averaging about seven 
per cent., while its "accumulated surplus" amounts to $16,725 62. 
Its quarterly transactions amount to about $150,000 in the way 
of loans and discounts, and the individual deposits last quarter 
amounted to about $85,000. The present ofRcers of the company 
are : M. L. Bundy, S. T. Powell, J. T. Elliott, Wm. Murphey, 
Clement Murphey, Directors; M. L. Bundy, President; John 
Thornburgh, Cashier; Augustus Bundy, Teller. 

THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF KNIGHTSTOWN 

Was organized about the same time, but a few weeks later, we 
l)elieve, than the above mentioned. Its capital stock is also 
$100,000, and circulation about $90,000. The career of these two 
institutions has been about equally successful, the figures 
setting forth the quarterly transactions of each not greatly 
differing. It is claimed that the stock in the Knights- 
town bank commands a little higher premium than that of the 
other, though we presume this is a matter of precious little 
consequence except in case of the death of a stockholder, as 
there is seldom any transactions in the stock of either. The 
semi-annual dividends of this bank have not been reported as 
being quite so high as those of its New Castle competitor, but, 
on the other hand, it reported an "accumulated surplus'* of over 
$33,000 several months since. The officers are, so far as learned : 
Robert Woods, President; C. D; Morgan, Cashier; William Penn 
Hill and Perry A\'agoner, Clerks. 

THE UNION BANK OF NEW CASTLE. 

This was a private bank, projected by M. L. Bundy in 1869, 
office in the Taylor House. It appeared to do a flourishing 
business for several months, when its business and good will 
were transferred to the First National, of which Mr. Bundy soon 
became President. 

citizens' bank of dwnkeith. 

This is a private bank, instituted at Dunreith in 1869, by 
Strattan, Harrold & Co.. with a capital stock of $25,000, and in- 
tended to supply a local demand, and for the accommodation of 



POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, 1^ 

the shipping interests of Dunreith and -vicinity. Although the 
capital was small, its transactions for the first year were of a 
highly satisfactory character. In December last it was burg- 
lariously entered and victimized to the tune of about $6,000, 
which very materially interfered with its business calculations 
and success. 

Under the present order of things, the banks of Henry 
county seem like almost indispensable institutions. They are 
certainly great conveniences at times, but their being so ex- 
tremely good for the stockholder at once raises the question as 
to whether the community in general can be shown to be bene- 
fitted by their existence. One thing is cei'tainly demonstrable : 
that the rate of interest is too high, as it can hardly be a healthy 
state of affairs in general, when the interest which money will 
command is greater than the per cent, of profits in any of the 
leading pursuits in which it is employed. It has been but a few 
months since the rate of disp'ounts at our banks was reduced 
from twelve to ten per cent. Still it is extremely doubtful 
whether agricultural pursuits, which are the chief basis of wealth 
in this county, have paid an average of six per cent, on the cap- 
ital invested for the past five years. 



POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT 



In the earlier portion of our county's history, there was 
little known of what is called partizan politics. Party lines 
were but dimly defined. Personal popularity counted more at 
the polls, (especially in local elections) than political creeds. A 
difference ot choice for Governor or President might engender 
considerable feeling between neighbors without separating them 
in choice for Justice of the Peace or County Commissioner . 
Names, too, were as liable to deceive in early times as at present. 

A venerable and life-long Democrat, whose name frequently 
occurs in these pages, commenced his career by voting for John 
Quincy Adams, and afterwards voted for Mr. Clay, who he says 
were Democrats at the time. 

12* 



126 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

In early times the Democratic conventions at Indianapolis 
"were styled Eepufelican conventions, thus showing that words 
may be and often are used interchangeably, which, at other 
times, convey ideas of the most opposite character. 

Although Henry county, from an early day, was regarded 
as very reliably Whig when it came to a general election. Dem- 
ocrats, for many years, enjoyed a considerable share of the 
places of " trust and profit" in the county. After Jackson's elec- 
tion the lines began to be more closely drawn, and party ma- 
chinery to be put in more successful operation on both sides, 
and the opposing candidates were often held up as political mon- 
strosities, and the " glorious principles" of each were attacked 
with a rancor, or defended with a zeal on the stump, or through 
the press, that leaves the impression at this day that the actors 
must have believed great principles were really at stake in the 
contests between Whigs and Democrats, but just what they 
were we are unable at this remote period to accurately'' de- 
termine, and freely confess to having some difficulty in com- 
prehending the " world wide" difference between the principles 
of the old Whig and Democratic parties. Nevertheless there 
must have been a difference, for once the issue was made, the 
number of Democrats promoted in this county became smaller 
by degrees, and if we mistake not, Joshua Johnson, elected 
Sheriff in 1850, was the " last of his line" 

The difference between Whiggery and Democracy , however, 
has not been the only element in Henry county politics. The 
county having been for many years noted as a stronghold of 
Radicalism and sure for a heavy majority for Hon. G. W. Julian, 
renders a review of some of the causes which led to such results, 
fitting in tLis place. 

Many of the early pioneers were from the South, and had 
learned from actual contact with the " peculiar institution " to 
detest it from the bottom of their hearts. They cherished the 
doctrines of the Declaration of Independence as vital truths 
and not as " glittering generalities." They nbt only confessed 
with their mouths, but believed in their hearts, that God had 
made of one bloed all nations of men, and that 
" A '-.man's a man for a' that," 

in spite of color, cast or rank. They early perceived the essen- 



POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. 127 

tially aggressive character of the " patriarchal institution,'^ 
which, in spite of its professed conservatism and pleadings to 
fte "let alone," was mustering its forces for a crusade, determined 
to rule or ruin, to bend or break to its accused purposes, 
parties, constitutions, unions, Bibles, churches and all else 
held sacred. 

They saw earlier and knew better than Mr. Seward himself 
the nature of the " irrepressible conflict." 

A National Anti-Slavery Society was formed about 1833, and 
had aroused great excitement and uncontrolable mobs in Bos- 
ton and Philadelphia, but it took some time for this agitation to 
reach as far west as Indiana, and there was not much concerted 
action here until after 1840. 

Although the number who felt that the pandering of 
Church and State to the traffic in human flesh was a burning 
disgrace and a foul blot on our fair institutions, was ever on 
the increase, thousands who recognized the heaven defying 
character of slavery, and were "just as much opposed to it as any 
body" were not yet ready to carry their opposition into politics, or 
at least not ready for separate political action, and so when the 
movement in this direction was inaugurated in 1840, no electoral 
ticket was formed in this and some other western States, and 
the ticket received but about six thousand votes in the whole 
Union. 

When J. G. Birny, a practical Abolitionist, who had man- 
umitted his own slaves, was put forward by the Liberty 
party in 1844, to make the race with those well-known slave- 
holders and apologists for oppression, Henry Clay and James 
K. Polk, he received but 188 votes in the county, and 62,263 in the 
whole country. When separate political action was inaugurated 
the fires of persecution were made to burn flercly. "Ai)0- 
litionist" became a supreme epithet of reproach. Among tlie 
boys it was sometimes changed to " niggerlitionist." Ko effort 
was spared to harrass and crush out the growing hostility to an 
institution, which, from being allowed to exist by the sufferance 
and forbearance of our forefathers, had come to arroganth^ 
demand the chiefest place in State and Synagogue. Those who 
had the temerity to oppose its progress, soon found themselves 
mot only outside of a "healthy political organization," but their 



128 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESBJ^T. 

fellow church members were looking askance at them as dis- 
turbers of the peace of " GocVs family" — the " household of 
faith," and two, at least of the churches of this county suffered 
disruption on this score. 

But none of these things moved them, despite threats, despite 
personal violence principle sustained the moral heroes. These 
" agitators" were fighting the battle of human liberty in general, 
but yet it was in behalf of a despised race and their very disin- 
terestedness was made an occasion against them. . They were 
" meddling with other people's business. " 

Rotten eggs were often tried, but found incapable of hitting 
truth. The ball put in motion, though so small at first, soon 
doubled in size, and, although most unfortunate in their selec- 
tion of a standard bearer, the " impracticables" of the county 
gave him 455 votes in 1848, nearly one-fifth of the vote cast ; 
and this, too, in spite of the military renown and prowess of 
one of the opposing candidates. 

The demands of the slave power became still more arro- 
gant. Slavery, instead of being a domestic concern, circum- 
scribed by State lines with the prospect of gradually if not soon, 
dying out, began to insist on being the normal condition of the 
laborer everywhere. It laid claim to being a divine heritage, 
entitled to be every where recognized. It insisted on new terri- 
tory and new guarantees, and asserted, that by force of the 
constitution, it was to be at home wherever our flag waved. 
Petitions against it were held to be an outrage. ISTo disrespect- 
ful reference to it was to be tolerated in Congress. The citizens 
of the North were to catch and return the panting fugitive to 
his divinely appointed master. 

The leading political parties had, in many localities, been 
pa.si4ng very snrng /. nti-sl;iV'Ty resolutioni^. :ind vieing with 
each otlicr in trying to meet the demands of tise natir>n's con- 
science, with reference to this great national curse. In a spasm 
of goodness the Democracy of Indiana went as far in its oppo- 
sition to slavery as a '■'■ black abolitionist" could well demand. 

Wilmot Provisos and similar literature seemed to have 
become wondrously and suddenly popular. But the scene 
shifted as suddenly, the great political parties were whipped 
iirt© the service of the task-masters more completely tliaxx- 



POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. 129 

ever before, and 1850 witnessed the dawn of the slave-hunt- 
ing era. The Democracy in National Convention assembled 
and resolved to " resist all attempts at renewing in Congress 
or out of it the agitation of the slavery question under what- 
ever color or shape the attempt may be made," and two weeks 
atfer the Whigs in the same capacity, and place, resolved to " dis- 
countenance all efforts to continue or renew such agitation 
wherever or however made, and we will maintain this system 
as essential to the nationality of the Whig party and the integ- 
rity of the Union." 

Here were the accredited representatives of the two great 
political parties of the nation in solemn conclave assembled 
deliberately and with one accord pledging eacli other that hence- 
forth no voice should plead the cause of the down-trodden and 
oppressed — anywhere or in any manner, in all this broad land. 
It was a diabolical covenant to stifle at once the voices of relig- 
ion, morality and humanity. 

The stupendous folly of thus defying the flat of Jehovah, 
and attempting to turn backward the progress of the nineteenth 
century, was answered by such a storm of agitation the land 
over as had never been witnessed before, and as if to set the 
seal of madness to this compact, no sooner had Congress assem- 
bled than tlie portals of agitation were thrown wide open by a 
resolution against agitation, introduced too, by a Democrat. 

The Whig party, which, in times past, could lay some claim 
to be called the party of liberty, in consequence of its stand in 
favor of freedom of debate and the right of petition, had, since 
its successes in 1848, been licking the dust from the feet of its 
Southern masters, and was ready to barter its all of principle, jus- 
tice and humanity for a continuance in place and power, but 
there being no longer a vital issue between the two great parties, 
the Whig party paid dearly for its treachery, by a defeat in 1852, 
wiiich blotted it out forever. 

The Democratic party in many parts of the Xortli, at least 
had been studiously making amends for its Waterloo defeat of 
1848, by giving utterance to sentiments that would have done 
credit to a Garrison or a Phillips. By its happy efforts in this 
direction in Eastern Indiana, George W. Julian was elected to 
Congress in 1849, Isaac Kinly sent to the constutional conven- 



186 HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESBNT. 

tion and G«orge Evans to the State Senate from this county. 
The conversion of the party, It is feared, was not genuine as by 
its prompt acceptance of the "Baltimore platform," it readily 
f«Ll from grace and returned to its wallov/, and, although suc- 
cessful in 1852, and again in 1856, it was at the expense of the 
last vestige of good in the party, which seemed at once to 
become the rendezvous of most of the thieves, cutthroats and 
treason mongers in the whole country. Just how completely 
such encompassed and engulphed the party " Bleeding Kansas" 
a torn and distracted country four years of sanguinary strife, 
mountains of debt and the sacrifice of more than a half a mil- 
lion of lives must attest. 

The terrible bugbear of a " dissolution of the Union" and 
the wonderful qualities of a panacea labeled " The Compromise 
Measures," were most industriously exhibited by the party 
nurses from 1850 to 1855. But the "plantation manners" 
adopted by Congress and the humiliation of the free men of the 
North by the effort to eonvert them into "blood hounds" to 
chase the flying bondsmen, aroused great indignation through- 
out the country and " personal liberty bills" and indignation 
meetings were the order of the day, and the "Free Democra- 
cy" with Hale and Julian as standard-bearers polled a vote of 
more than a quarter of a million in 1852. In this county the 
gain was, however, for various reasons, but small. 
, In 1851 a series of meetings were held throughout the 
county, in which the repeal of the fugitive slave bill was dis- 
cussed and demanded. One appointed for the county seat and 
■coming on an inclement daj/", the attendance from the country 
was small, and the occasion was seized upon by certain poli- 
ticians, and portions of the populace to pervert the meeting 
from its original purpose. For the resolutions condemtiatorj/- of 
the law, substitutes were offered, the floor was occupied at great 
length by the apologists of the law, and those who called the 
meeting were greeted with hisses, howls, and cries of " ques- 
tion !" " question.!" when they attempted to reply. The mob had 
its way for the time, but " Radicals" learned a lesson not soon 
forgotten, and more than, once since when it has been necessary to 
hold conventions, those who, for many years, managed the 
affairs of the county, have been astonished at the interest taken 



POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. 131 

in them by the people from the " rural districts." 

So soon as it became apparent that the anti-slavery forces 
of this county held the balance of power, it became a matter of 
some consequence to secure their aid in the contests of the 
time, and they were alternately caressed and scolded by the 
Whigs, besought or cufied by the Democracy. Still they main- 
tained to an admirable extent the even tenor of their way — 
not tliat tliey made no mistakes, but what they kept constantly 
in view, was the early triumpii ot their cherished principles, 
and the sacred cause of human liberty. 

Among those who stood fast through good and evil report 
and bore the heat and burthen of the day, might be mentioned 
old Dr. Reed and young Dr. Hiatt, Dr. Darr, Emsley Brook- 
shire, T. R. Stanford, Jonathan Macy, and Jabish Luellen ; the 
Bonds, Marshalls, and Wickershams, on Flatrock; John H. 
Bales, the Macys and Jessups, on Blue river; the Edgertons, 
Antrims, and others, at Spiceland : about Greensboro, the Cooks, 
Saints, Bransons, Wrights, " Old Uncle Seth," and the Hinshaw 
family generally; and in the North-west part of the county, 
Shubal Julian, John Swain and sons, a Mr. Wright and an 
Adamson, and of course, many others, of whom- want of space 
forbids mention. 

After the sudden demise of the Whig party ,Knownothingism 
sprung into being, and swept like a tornado over the land. Its 
novelty, a natural love of change, a weakness which seems in- 
herent in afflicted humanity to try all the quack nostrums and 
curealls proposed, together with the speciousness of the claims 
set up for the movement by its wily propagandists, all con- 
spired to sweep into its secret conclaves thousands of excellent 
men. 

The purpo-<es and tendencies of the party, soon however, 
became so apparent that multitudes turned from it in disgust,* 
and to-day, scarcely one in ten of all those " taken in " will 
admit they ever saw " Sam." Doubtless the earlier Abolition- 
ists were believed by honest thousands to be little less than 
monsters, holding and teaching the most atrocious sentiments, 

* Although this new phase of politics swept through many of the States 
irresistahly for a time, its force was speedily spent, and in this coxanty its 
votaries n-iimbered biit 49 in 1856, and IC in 1860. 



132 ♦ HENRY COUNTY; PAST AND PRESENT. 

but tlie rapid strides of the slave power toward complete ascend- 
ency in the land, thoroughly aroused the masses. 

The repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the "grinding out" 
of the Dred Scott decision, the attempt to blast Kansas aHd 
other virgin territory with that most insidious piece of diabol- 
ism known as "squatter sovreigntj'^," and the open and shameless 
crusade of armed ruffians in the interest of human bondage 
seemed rapidly to develop the national conscience and open the 
eyes of the blind politicians to the deadly aggressive character 
of slavery. A sunburst of righteous indignation swept over 
the land, and the Republican party was formally organized in 
1856, embracing all the real anti-slavery men of the country, 
a very large portion of the Whig party, with a large ac- 
cession from the Democratic ranks. The Democratic leaders of 
Henry county, yielding to the better impulses of their nature, 
called an indignation meeting at New Castle, and resolved 
against the dastardly Lecompton measures of the Democratic 
administration in terms as vigorous or fitting as any body of 
radical abolitionists could have desired. Indeed it seemed much 
like re-enacting the Decalogue and Declaration of Independence. 

The Democratic President soon, however, found the means 
of silencing this ebullition of goodness, and whipping into the 
traces the larger portion of the party, while such as could not 
be thus controled or cajoled found a genial home in the ^-amp 
of Republicanism. 

During all the vicissitudes of parties, aud amid all the rev- 
olutions in plattorms, changes of base, and frequent "new de- 
partures,'' the Democratic party of this county has "held its 
own."' The relative strength of parties in this county since 
1852, taking the Presidential vote as a basis, has been nearly as 
follows : 

]g52_Whig, 41) per cent. ; Democrat, 38 per cent. ; Freesoil^ 
14 per cent. 185G— Republican, 08 per cent.; Democrat, 30>2 
percent.; Know Nothing, 1 per cent. 1860— Republican, 66 
per cent. ; Democrat, 33 per cent. ; Know Nothing, % per cent- 
1864— Republican, 74 per cent. ; Democrat, 25 per cent. 1868— 
Republican, 70 per cent. ; Democrat, 30 per cent. 

' Upon the formation of the Repul)lican party, the old Aboli- 
tionists, TJberty Men, Free Democrats, and Free toilers, to a 



VnJTUAL DEVELOPMENT. 133 

man, cjoti their lortunes with it, or more properly speaking, 
they were the very life of the organization. It is true that 
its> platform of principles embodying little more than resistance 
to the furtlier spread of slavery was i-egarded by some as lower- 
ing the standard too miKjh, but it was a great step to have the 
masses, as well as tlie leaders of ]xiV)lie opinion step upon thig 
high platform^ and progress was })atiently awaited. Revolu- 
tions could not go backward. The genuine lovers of fi-e^dom 
had faitli tli:»r 

•■A^ round and rouml we run. 
Triith evei' comes uppevmtist 
And ever is justice done.*' 

But it i^ (Muiou- to note witli what pertinacity men <!ing to 

theiV old prejudices, and while adopting the opinions of a class 

of thinkers who have blazed the way for tliem, nevei" cease 

to condemn the men whose lead they follow. 

Henry County has been a Radical stronghold for- twenty 
years, l)ut homogeneitj- of opinion has nevej- prevailed here. 
Many opposed slavery after it had w^ell nigh destroyed the Gov- 
ernment, wlio utterly repudiate and despise the earlier Aboli- 
rionists. .>rany who (*heered most lustily for Fremont in 
1856 would have l)een on the other side, liad they snsp«H*ted Re- 
publicanism would advance to the utterances of 1866, and when 
years after tliey helped to sing the requiem of slavery they 
were ready to swear that the smell of abolition was not on their 
garments, and never forgave pioneers. From exalted places in 
the County laggards strove to stop the current of progress. 
In 1861-2 some of them favored meeting and treating^ with 
the rebels to stop tlie war. In 1863 they were still clamoring 
for the "Union as it was and the Constitution as it is." Freeing 
the negro as our armies advanced, was not to be thought of, and 
arming them to shoot their masters was simph'^ intolerable. 

In Februars', 1864, in county convention assembled, a Re- 
publican committee of 13, stifled a res<)lution endoi-sing the 
Emancipation Proclamation, which, upon being presented by 
its originator, in the body of theV*onvention, passed amid deaf- 
ening applause; illustrating how^ the mere politician is ever be- 
hind the people. On a memorable day in April, 1865, a commit- 
tee charged wMth the duty of preparing suitable resolutions for 
the obsequies of a Miirtvr President, refused to report a restohi- 

13 



134 HENRY KH.Nii; PA.^i A cnD PRESENT. 

tion charging the black crime of his murder to the list scored up 
against slavery This too was reported by its originator to the 
convention and more completeh" touched the popular chord 
than any thing else said or done, notwithstanding its introduc- 
tion was pronounced unnecessarj'^ by one of its original oppo- 
nents. After its passage its publication as having come from 
the hands of the committee was privately requested, showing 
that politicians sometimes learn when it is too late. 

"Military necessity" placed the musket and the ballot in 
the hands of the negro in spite of the settled convcitions and ex- 
pressed opinions of many a Henry County politician. The re- 
construction of the Southern States was also declared against 
by many "good Republicans," since, to admit that they were 
lapsed into a territorial condition, or had lost any of their rights 
was to grant that "the rebellion had succeeded." 

T!ie Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to 
which the party is now so fully committed, had each to be 
fought for in the political circle of Henry County republican- 
ism, but the battle seem^s at last almost won. The "logic of 
events" has carried us beyond the most advanced out posts of 
the anti-slavery men, till it almost seems as if the Garrisons, 
Phillips', and Giddings', the Sumners and Julians, were respec- 
table old fogies. The clogs of the party of freedom have been 
shaken oft' or carried irresitably along till they have had time 
to soe every hated position taken by those denominated as Rad- 
icals, adopted by the party at large, and the heresy of yesterday 
made the orthodoxy of today. And now, since to go back is 
impossible and Democracy itself is beginning to "accept the 
situation;" and the results of a victory it never intentionally 
helped to win, cannot ah say " let us have peace." 



i N D i A ^' S 



"The Noble Red Man" became a scarce article in this coun- 
ty soon after its settlement was fairly begun by the whites. As 



rNDIy\NS. 135 

previouslj' mentioued by the terms of the treaty of 1818, they 
were all required to leave by the spring of 1821. The bulk of 
them left before that time, although a number of them were 
scattered up and down Blue River and some other streams in 
the county for some time after the first crop of white immigrants 
took possession. Probably the most extensive Indian village in 
the county was located near the present site of Ilernly's Mills, 
about two miles north of New Castle. The Indians of this county 
were of theDelaware tribe and perhaps chiefly beloiige'^ to the 
branch known as Muncies. 

MOUNDS, EARTHWORKS, ETC. 

There are in the county many evidences of its having been 
the home of one or more races of people, now passed away. 
Numerous mounds and earthworks or fortifications are found 
in the county while flint, arrow and spear heads are found in al- 
most every neighborhood, and it might be said on almost every 
farm in the county. Stone pestels, hammers, tomahawks or 
hatchets, and other implements and trinkets are found in por- 
tions of the county. Whether these belonged to the race of 
'' red men " that immediately preceded the whites, or to a people 
they had displaced is perhaps an open question. It is 
probable that the occupants of the soil, when the whites came 
into this part of the State, knew as little about the manufacture 
of these arrow-heads and stone hatchets as we do to-day, and yet 
these very weapons have been the only implements used by 
their ancestors of two hundred years before. It would not have 
taken he of the '' untutored mind " long to discover the superior 
murderous quality of a steel hatchet over the blunt implement 
of his sires, and of course, as the stone implement was superce- 
ded the art of manufacture was lost, and even a w*^,ll defined 
tradition of its use soon passed away with a people unused to 
letters. 

The most notable earthworks of the county are perhaps 
those on the " Hudelson place," formerly the "Allen Shepherd 
farm." Here are fortifications which have defied the ravages of 
the "tooth of time" for aught we know for a century, and the 
plowman's share for half that time, and yet, in some instances 
from the bottom of the ditch to the top of the embankment is 
still four to six feet, though generally much less. Several of 



136 WiilNRY COUNTY; PA!^T AND PRKSKNT. 

tbem en close near a half acre, and generally there is in the- 
centre a mound which was probably at one time much higher 
than the sarrounding embankment and served as a sort of ob- 
servatory and as well perhaps as a resting place for the dead. 
There are one or more mounds without the surrounding ditch 
and embankments. One of the most iu>ticeable is about two rods 
across at the base and near five feet in height filthough some 
body-snatcrier has been thrusting his sacrilegious spade hito it^ 
with what result we know not. Like the famous general who 
" fit " in the Mexican war, these aboriginal engineers seemed to 
prefer iAaving the ditch on the inside of the embankment, which 
probably served as a fence for the retention of stock as well as 
for defense from without. Some of these enclosures appear to 
have been circular, others quadrangular, one octagonal and some 
of irregular outline, tiiough from the partial obliteration of the 
walls the exact state is not easily detci-mined. Some of the 
walls were probably eight or more feet in hciglit in early times 
and it is reported that some of them were surmo\nited witli the 
remains of a stockade much less than fifty years ago. 

One of these old forts is on the premises and nearly in front 
of the residence of Mr. JoscDh Dorrah, about one and a half 
miles north of N'ew Castle, the New Castle and Northern Pike 
cutting it m two. There are two stumps in it. the remains of 
trees, probably more than one hundred and fifty years old. 
There are also similar relics in other portions of the county, all 
speaking to us of the trials, hardships and struggles of a race 
whose extinction seems near at hand. The hand of the " pale 
face" seems ever against them, even the sacred precin<;ts of 
their b orlal grounds are invaded and their })ones arc not suffer- 
ed to Test in peace. 

In constructing railroads and turnpikes their crumbling 
skeletons have been exhumed by scores and scattered to the 
four winds, 

THK INDIAN CHARACTKR. 

Ab portrayed to us by the early settlers, though not " altogetlier 
lovely," was not desperate. The "noble red man," never 
peemed to have any difficulty in acquiring an appetite for fire- 
water, wfts fond of music, such as aij old fiddle could supply, 
and Heemed jit«t "m his elem^piit when engaged in a night of rev- 



INDIANS. 137 



«lry, with a few trifling whites and bottles of whisky for campaii- 
ions. In point of honor, integrity, and. some of the sterner vir- 
tues they wore but little behind half the white men with whom 
they associated. 

Mr. Benjamin Harvy lived in their midst for two or more 
years and pronounced them "just as good as the whites." We 
secured their good will by upright dealing with them, and when 
the orders came to remo\'e them to certain reservations, their 
parting with the family was witli tears and every demonstration 
of affection. 

Asahel Woodard says they would never take so much as a 
"roasting ear" from him without the asking, and that they 
were exceedingly prompt in the return of everything tliey bor- 
rowed. 

Dempsy Rees says they o/ten came to his house and would 
trade wild honey for corn bread and give pound for pound. 
They were inveterate beggars for small favors, and were never 
. known to refuse an iuNitation to take a meals victuals, and 
when invited to set up alone to a well filled table they seemed 
to understand that all the victuals set upon it were intended for 
tliem, and what they could not get outside of, they would empty 
into a pouch or haversack with which they were generally pro- 
vided; bread, meat, potatoes, graAy etc., being dumped in pro- 
miscuously. They much prefered sleeping on the floor to a bed. 
They were not proverbial for personal cleanliness or 
over squeamish in choice of food. The venerable Mrs. 
Hannah Symons relates being called upon by one of their 
braves, who spied a lot of eggs that some of the children had 
brought in, part of a nest full which a faithful hen had abandon- 
ed after weeks of fruitless effort at hatching. These he must 
have, and no amount of explanation as to their addled character 
was of any avail. Then he must have her skillet to cook them in, 
and actually cooked and ate toe whole lot with tl.e ut^most gus- 
to, and many an "ugh,*' expressive of satisfaction. 

We have not been able to learn of an Indian having been 
killed by a white man within our borders, or any white settler 
falling by the hand of the Indians. Those of the earlier set- 
tlers who endeavored to live in peace with them found no diffi- 
culty in doing so, and had but little apprehension except from 



138 HENRY COUNTy; PAST AND PRP:SENT. 

a fear that some lawless whites mi^ht so exasperate them by 
some JL.TOSS outrage as to cause them to forget the difference 
"between friend and foe. 



WILD ANIMALS 



The early settlers found here pretty much all wild ani- 
mals to be found in the State, and many of them in great abun- 
dance, though we are not aware that the county was especially 
noted in this respect. 

Beabs. — The Black Bear was quite numerous for manj' 
years and made no iuconsiuerable addition to the larders of 
many a family. So late as 1830 they were not infrequently met 
with ; several were seen in the streets of Knightstown so late as 
1832 — 33. M. F. Edwards is said to have tried to keep one out 
of his lot by striking it with his list, and when close pressed it 
sought refuge in the chimne}^ of a new house, belonging to Alex- 
ander Posten, So late as 1848-50 three created some excitement 
in Spiceland Township. 

Deer. — The Red Deer was very plentiful and many families 
supplied themselves most bountifully for some years after the 
county began to be settled, with venison. Xathan Ratliff, the 
famous hunter and brother to Cornelius Eatliff, of Dudley 
Tov/nship, cleared and fenced ten acres of ground one summer 
and fail and killed seventy-five deer. One was killed in Har- 
rison Township in 1865, as several parties who were prosecuted 
under the g^me laws can testify. This is the only one we have 
heard of in the county for fifteen or twenty years. 

Wolves. — The Grey Wolf was very numerous and annoy- 
ing to the first settlers, being especially destructive to young 
porkers and sheep. The county records show that no inconsid- 
erable part of the funds in the Treasury at an early day went 
for wolf scalps. Quite a number of men more than paid their 
taxes in this way. Th<;y iiave long since disappeared. 

The Fox. — Both the Red and Grey Fox have ever found a 
home in the county, and l;itterly seem to be on the increase, es- 



WUAt ANIMATE, 139 

pecially the Red Fox, and the chase with Iiur-c ;i)>d liound is 
beeomin^ a fashionable and exciting pastime 

Panthers were occasionally found, but oilencr heard of 
in early times. The lynx, sometimes called the. wild cat, was 
not an uncommon animal here at one time, though very rare 
for thirty years past. Something of this sort (perliaps the Cana- 
dian Lynx) was shot by one of the Garrett boys, about five 
miles north of New Castle, only two oi' tliree years >ii)< c 

Raccoon. — This little representative of the bear family was 
always quite numerous in this county, and it is not improbable 
that they have been on the increase for the past few years. 

Oppossums. — These animals were once plentiful and are 
still found occasionally, though hardly in sufficient quantities to 
supply the wants of our citizens who count ihem a toothsome 
dish. At a Masonic festival in New Castle, a few yeai's since, a 
couple of them graced the well- filled board. 

Skunks. — This unpopular but rather pretty little animal 
defying public prejudice, seems to be wonderfully on the in- 
crease for a few years past. There are said to be some eight or 
ten varieties of this animal in the United States. Perhaps there 
is but one variety in this county and that must be the real Me- 
phitis Americana. One variety is considered quite enough, al- 
thougn the kittens are said to make splendid pets, if they are 
not kept too long. 

Beavers. — The earthworks of this inaustrious and saga- 
cious engineer were not unknown to the early settlers, though 
we judge few if any of the builders were ever seen by the 
whites. 

The Otter, Mink and Muskrat are still found in the 
county tliough rapidly decreasing in numbers. The i^elts of 
these, especially of the Mink and Muskrat, have at rimes fur- 
nished the l)asis of considerable traffic. 

The Woodchuck or Groundhog, always a resident of this 
county, has been rapidly gaining ground in some parts, of late 
years. 

The Rabbit, or properly <,'alled Hare, is able to liold his 
own amidst all his foes. It is hard to tell what the boys would 
do if "cotton tails" should become extinct. 

Rats. — The so-called Norway 'more properly gnaw-away) 



140 'f'lKNKY atVSTY; IVVST AM> I'KKSENT. 

rat many years? since expelled the old fashioned black rat, and 
has made himself x>erfeetly at home, in such numbers as to al- 
most dispute the right of possession with tyrant man. The es- 
tablishment of a fine kid glove manufactory in each village is 
prol>ably the only way to "clean out" the pests. 

Squirrkls. — The common Grey Squiri-ei oi' chip-numk 
was so numerous for many years as to be a tei-rible tax on the 
patience and energies of the husbandman, and more than once 
the greys, with a considerable admixture of the blacks, bavs 
made theii- aj)pearance in such countless mmibers as to almost 
defy the farmej- to save any thing from their ravages. He ap- 
peared to be emigrating from some unknown region to the 
south or southeast. Joseph K. Leaky, who had in several acres 
of corn, in 1823, had occasion to be from home for a few days, 
returned to find he had not an ear left. George Evans could 
only save a portion of his one season by pulling it when green 
and drying on a dry-kiln. Dempsey Rees hired a man by the 
day to shoot them around his corn field : tbe gunner killed over 
•one liimdred and said lie coidd have done better but for his gun 
getting so hot. Others had a similar experience, till dogs and 
boys l)ecame tired of slaughtering them. For about twenty 
yeai's the Fox Squirrel has been rapidly supplanting the abor- 
igines. 

Elk.— We have no reports of the elk having been seen in 
this couiuy, though from the frequent tlnding of their im- 
mense antlers in various parts of the county, it is inferred that 
they were numerous at a jieriod not \ery i-emote. We have in 
our possession parts of two specimens, a pair ot which could 
not have weighed less than 25 or 30 poiuuls. R. H Mellett re- 
cently found a specimen over four feet in length, and Dr. Jont 
Ross had an "elk horn," a few years since, over six feet in length. 

Other animals of little importance, such as the weasel, fiy- 
ing squirrel, mole, mice oi' Aarious species we suppose are as 
numerous hi-re as almost anywhere. 

WiiA) Turkey. — Of all the Avild fowl to be found in the 
countj' this is the most important. Though becoming somewhat 
rare, there are still enough left for pretty fair sport at the prop- 
er season of tlte year. Some of our ex])ert hunters can still 
bag several in a day at rimes. Thev breed in the county to 



AID IN PKESEKVING THE UNION. 141 

some extent, thougli the most that are found here are probably 
emigrants from the wilder regions north of us. 

Wild Geese are frequently seen in their passage to the 
North or South, and occasionally alight and remain with us 
briefly. 

WiLi> Ducks of several species are found along our streams. 
Most of them are migratory. 

The Great Blue Heron, more commonly called a Crane, 
is not infrequently found here, during the wanner months of 
the year, while the Green Heron, or Fly-up-the-creek, is much 
more numerous. 

Pheasants, the true Partridge, or Ruifed Grouse, are still 
occasionally found, and more often heard, in our groves and 
thickets. 

QuAiJ..— The beautiful little Bob White, we believe, is found 
here in increasing numbers under the protectiner a-gis of the 
game law. 

Thei-e are numerous other birds, large or small, as tl»e crow, 
vulture or buzzai'd, a half dozen kinds of hawks, large and 
small, several varieties of the owl, occasionally a stray eagle, a 
numerous retinue of the smaller songsters and chatterers, &c., 
&c., to be found in the county, either temporarily or the year 
round, which there is not room even so much as to attempt to 
enumerate. 



ATJ) IN rRESKRVlNG THE UNION. 



On Sunday morning, the 14th of April, 1861, news reached 
Indianapolis of the fall of Fort Sumpter, and Governor Morton 
tendered President Lincoln ten thousand men to uphold the au- 
thority of the Government, the President having called for 
seventy-five thousand three months troops, of which Indiana's 
quota was subsequently fixed at 4,G83 men. 

The Governor issued his proclamation, calling for these 
t)*oops, on the 16th. From the Adjutant General's report it will 



142 HENKY C:Ol7NTY: PAST AND PRESENT. 

be seen that iive hundred had reported for duty next day, two 
thousand four hundred in three days more, and in seven days 
twelve thousand men were in camp. The object of this brief 
chapter is to show how promptly and thoroughly Henry Coun- 
ty fulfilled the part assigned her. 

In the first regiment organized under the call, and only six 
days after the Governor's call, seventy-eight citizens of Henry 
County were mustered into service, and only two days later sev- 
enty-five otiiers. making about double the quota of Henry 
County. 

By the enrollment of October, 1862, Henry County wa* 
found to have 2,652 men liable to military duty after deduct- 
ions for disability, etc. At this time there were 1,008 already 
in the service. The volunteers from this county under the first 
and second calls was so largely in excess of its quota that under 
the third call, (August 4th, '62) but 160 additional men were re- 
quired to fill the county's quota of 300,000 men. These were 
promptly forthcoming and the draft avoided. 

In 1863 there was a call for 100,000 men, soon followed by 
another for 300,000. To fill this couuty's quota required about 
SSOadditJonal men and they were promptly supplied without a 
draft. 

In 1864 the calls in February, March and July, amount- 
ed to 500,000 more. This county's quota under these calls was 
1,185, of these 939 men were supplied by new recruits, 97 re-en- 
listments of veterans, making 1,036 volunteers. One himdred 
and seventy men were drafted which supplied the deficiency 
and gave the county an excess of 52 men in the service. 

In December, 1864, there was still another call for 300,000 
more men. On this last call Henry County was required to 
furnish 359 m*'n, of r/tese 3 Ml were raised by enlistment au:! but 
17 by <lraft; eight townshii»s escajfing entiivly. 

• From the foregoing it appears that H^iiry County had in 
the United States Service altogether a grand total of 3142 sol- 
diers. Of course a large number of these were counted twice, as 
most of the three months men immediately re-enlisted and a 
large number of the one, two and three year men veteranized. 

It is certainly creditable, and an evidence of the patriotism 
of our people that less than 200 of those who entered the service 



AID [>i PRKSERVING THE UNION. 14Jf 

did so as drafted men. In addition to these, under the Govern- 
or's call to resist the Morgan raid, about 500 citizens of Henry 
County enlisted in the State Service as "Minute Men." 

We have relied mainly on the report of the Adjutant Gen- 
eral for the tacts given above, but this is very unsatisfactory in 
many respect, as it does not give the residence of the men in 
manj^ instances, and acredits whole companies of Henry County 
soldiers to other counties. The following are the regiments in 
which Henry County men most conspiciously figured, with the 
number in each ; the number, in most instances being the orig- 
inal enlistments. The residences of those afterward sent for- 
ward to fill up the depleted ranks, often being omitted or 



wrongly stated : 




• 








Regimknt. 




Tkrm ok SKRVrCE 


No. 


OF 


Mkx. 


Sixth 




8 months. 






18 


Eighth 




■i months. 






75 


Ninth 




3 vears. 






12 


Eleventh 




o ""' 






■23 


Nineteenth 






(Estimated) 


m 


Thirtieth 










15 


Thirtv-Sixth 










331 


Forty- Fifth (3rd caviilry) 








94 


Fifty- Seventh- 




o ■• 






42 


Sixtv-Ninth 




3 •' 






173 


Eighty-Fourth 




3 •• 






196 


Ninetieth (5th cavalry) 


3 '• 






18 


One hundred twentv 


-first (9th 1 


r.avalry) 3 •• 






75 


One hundred thirty - 


ninth 


100 days 






146 


One hundred fortieth 


100 " 






61 


One hundred forty-s 


eventh 


1 year 






132 


One hundred forty-e 


ig-hth 


1 " 






18 


Twelfth Batterv 




3 years. 






16 


Nineteenth Batterv 




3 " 






15 



In addition to these there were a few Henry County sol- 
diers in each of at least twelve other regiments. In short, 
there was scarcely an important engagement during the dark 
days of battle viil which some citizen of Henry County did 
not take a part. 

In the matter of county and township bounties and relief 
to soldiers' families but few counties in the State surpassed Hen- 
ry. The different items are as follows : 

County Bounty . . $i:i;i,12().«4 

rownshi}> Bountv .. "252,540.25 

Eamily Relief (Countv) H3,263.56 

Family Relief (Township) 18.914.53 



Grand Total .t4«8,739.:5S 



144 H.EN»¥- COUNTS'; FAST AXO PRKSlf^.NT. 



J T K M S,. 



Weigmiy Mf.mi;kks. — Dudley township, and especially 
Hopewell neighborhood, challenges the world for large men and 
women. Within a radius of 1^4 miles of Hopewell Meeting- 
house, tliere lived, a short time since, no less than nine persons 
who weighed between 250 and 365 pounds each. One young 
lady weighed 304 at seventeen years of age. Another lady 
weighed 300 pounds. There are twelve women living in the 
neighborhood, or have recently done so, wiiose Meights ranged 
from 225 to 300 pounds. In one family of nine children and 
the parents, theie \\ere but two who failed at some time of their 
lives to i-each tlie goodly m eight of 200 pounds, the average of 
the whole family l)ei ng 248 7-11; omitting the two small ones, 
the "runts" of the family, and the others averaged 271 2-9. 

Signs of Gbowth. — In earlj'^ times the bonds of the fe!ou- 
atable and County Treasurer were equal. Since that time 
the bond of the Treasurer has been eight hundred times 
that of the Constable, or about twenty-five times as much as 
the bonds of all the Constables in the County. 

SuFFioiKNTLY SPECIFIC. — The law make it tiie duty of jus- 
tices of the pQM.v to report all fines imi)0sed. to the commis- 
sioners. 

In early times a Justice reported that lie iiad lined Mj-. 

$3 for swearing three illegal oatlis as follows: ."tw'o by-God and 
one by-Jesus Christ," and on a subsequent occasion, a similar 
amount for three others as follows : "one by-God, one by-God 
and one by- Jesus Christ." 

To-morrow MoIining. — The usual formuht for tiie adjourn- 
ment of the Commissioners" Court, in early times, was ordered 
by the Board tiiat "tlit- Court uom' adjourn till to-morrow morn- 
ing, nine o'clock." 

On several occasion.- tlie morning entry read as follows: 

"To-morrov^ nmorning the Court met pursuant to -•jdjonni- 
ment." 



THIE FIONKWE.. 



146 



HK PIONEEK.* 



BY K. S. I'AKKEK. 



JSh form is boit; his heiul is utcv; 

His limbs are long and slender. 
But «till,;beneafh his woolen vest. 

The heart is true and tender. 

His comrades long are in the clay; 

Their wooden head-boards rotten 
And in the modern neighborhood, 

Their very names forgotten. 

fle walks serenely thro' the fields; 

(»M shadows seem to follow. 
Again he sees the ta^vny deer 

Go leaping down the hollow. 

He hears once more the rifle's ring, | 
The hunters shouting gladly. I 

On yonder hill the wounded beai- I 
Again gives battle madly. | 

He heai-s the pheasant's boomingl 
drum : I 

lie hears the turkey calling ; 
The thudding maul: thi^ ringinga\;j 

The crash of timber falling. 

He sees the little cabin home; 

The tiny patch of clearing, 
Where once he dwelt with wife and 
boys. 

No breath of evil fearing. 

"Ah, well!'' be sighs: -'^he's -ileeping 
now; 

Tiie eldest boy> are with her. 
I very soon shall go with them, 

since they may not come hithei." 

The tear that glistens in his eye 

Falls down a moment after; 
For, silvery, eclioing uj) the lane, 
Hehears his gr.M udchild's laughter. 

The past and present strangely blend 
Before his nieutai vision; 

Yet love, that makes the dreary 
wolds 
Appear like fields elysiau. 

f^till paints along his early days 
The fairest scenes of pleasure, 

And garners stores of happy thought 
NTo rhythmic art can measure. 



No words bespeak his heart so warm 
As did the backwoods greeting; 

No preacher has such power as hina 
Who held the backwoods meeting.. 

He knows of many a merry time 
At reaping, rolling, raising. 

Or, on the jolly husking nights, 
With cheerful torches blazing. 

From many a good wife's quilting 
bout 
He treasures home-spun blisses, 
Where old folks talked, and young 
folks played 
Their gamesof forfeit kisses. 

The lazy Indian still he scorns; 

Their'squaws and their papooses: 
The things, (iod made them; but, no 
doubt. 

For undiscov«'red uses. 

Where now a dozen turniiikes stretch 
Stiff lines between the meadows 

He knew a single Indian trail 
That wound thro' forest shadows. 

A dozen villages he sees 
Beside their rail and stations, 

Where once a single trading post 
Supplied the settlers' rati<ms. 

A hundred rushing trains go by; 

He hears them s<n'eam and thunder. 
And laughs to think how they wonld 

shake 
His backwoods world with wonder. 

How strange the ways they practice 
now. 
This new time emphasizing, 
Me thinks, and with the uttered 
thought, 
<;rows loud soliloquizing. 

"With clattering instruments at 
church. 

And dapper youngsters preaching, 
And, for the congregations' hymn, 

A dozen lasses screeching. 



* Writ! en by retiuest especially fop these pr.ges. 



146 



THK PSONEER.. 



"•And theu for all our social ,ii>/- 
And good old-fashioned greotiiig; 

The sinners masque at fancy balls. 
The saints at public meetings. 

•'You rest at ease in fancy homes. 
Your thoughts on high careering. 

But give me back my wife and boys, 
And give me back my clearing. 

•'And give me "back my rifle gun, 
My forests, deer, and pheasants, 

And I will prove you, any day, 
As tame as British peasants. 

'•Your girls grow fine; your boys 
grow proud 

And vaiu; O! more 's the pity; 
There's scarce a youth in all the land 

But 's crazy 'bout the city. 

••It's true there's boys that grow up 
now- 
Pale, sick, unlikely creatures, 
With foreheads broiid and driveled 
limbs, 
And strange, unnatural features, 

•'Who misht be doctors, if they 
woulri, 

Or preach without much harming, 
But all the stoutest, brightest ones 

Should steady stick to farming. 

"Give me the lad with sinewy arm 

For box or wrestle ready. 
To lift his share at hand-spike end, 

Or hold a rifle steady. 

"And I will after show a man 
Whose heart is tender human, 

And brave in everv hour of need. 
And true as steel to woman. 

"But I, why should I moralize; 

I'm but a dotard gi'owing, 
And death cuts now a reaper's swath 

Beside his ancient mowing. 

"It seems so strange, the forests 
gone; 

The very stumps are rotten; 
And half the fields I helped to clear 

I've really now forgotten. 

"The post-horse, lagging with his 
load. 

Across th' uubridged morasses. 
He reached us once or twice a month 

With letters for the lasses. 

"But now they run on flying wheels, 
Or fly on lightning pinions, 

And in the twinkling of an eye 
Arrive fi'om far dominions. 

"For church and school-house, once 



a hut 
t Of logs did half the county, 
I But heaven as freely then as now 
Dispensed her largest bounty. 

We flailed the wheat with twisted 

sticks. 
Bv steam you thresh and clean it, 
And rush your four-horse reapers 
where"^ 
We used to hook and glean it. 



But whv goon this cat'logue style 
With what we did. and you do; 
We did the best we could and that's 
The way in knowledge you grew. 

'The old folks labored long and well 
To build the rude foundation, 

A-ud you have wro't no more than we 
With all your cultivation. 

"We conquered forests, cleared the 
land. 

Our work, let no man scorn it: 
But you v\'ho follow, follow well ; 

Complete; refine; adorn it. 

"The olden music, olden songs, 

The pioneer rejoicings. 
Still linger on my listening ear 

With myriad happy voicings. 

"No A\ives are like our dear old 
wives. 

No neighbors like our neighbors, 
No boys are half as bold as ours. 

So cheerful at their labors. 

"No ladies in their rustling silks 
And gimcracks half so winning, 

/\s were our girls in linsey frocks 
From yarn'ot their own" spinning. 

"Full many a rough, unseemly man 
Who shared my early labor. 

Looks noble through the mist of 
years. 
For was he not my neighbor? 

"And so when all your heads are 

white. 

And death comes creeping nearer, 

You'll think the old ways, perfect 

ways, 

Old friends grow hourly dearer." 

A partridge whistled by the way, 
A blackbird trilled above it, 

A red-bird sang -'O, sunny day," 
The robin "How I love it!" ' 

"Ho!" cried the pioneer, "you birds 
Are bent on early pillage," 

And so, his mus'ings spoiled, he 
walked 
Quite briskly toward the village. 



147 



INDEX. 



Aid in Preserving the Union . . 


141 


Charles D. Morga 


112 


Attorneys, the First 


45 


Dora J. Gilbert 


115 


Ashland 


80 


Dudley Township. 


16 


Associate Judges 


89 


Democratic Banner 


119 


Advertising Sheets 


121 


Dunreith 


81 


Auditors 


91 


District Prosecutors 


90 


Assessing the Revenue 


93 


Ezra Spencer 


115 




96 


Elijah Evan Edwards 


115 


Alfred J. Cotton 


109 


Elizabeth City 


78 


Albert Hodson 


113 


Errata 


148 


Adolphus Rogers 


114 


Excise and Sumptuary Law^s 


95 




34 


Extraordinary Kv.ip:.f{if.n-ps 
E.E.Parker 


98 


Board of Justices 


37, 8T 


112 


Blountsville 


74 


First Paper. .. 


116 


Beeeh Tree 


121 


First Settlers . 


3 


Benevolent Societies 


ISl 


First Settlers of Henry T'n'i>. 


4 


Banks 


128 


Prairie 


5 


Newcastle 


124 


Wajne . . 


5 


Knightsfeown 


124 


Spicelan d 


6 


Union 


124 


Franklin 


6 


Citizens 


124 


Dudley 


6 


Bailiffs 


92 


Liberty . 


7 


B. S. Parker 


113 


Greensboro 


7 


Beniamin Franklin 


113 


Harrison 


8 


Benjamin Wriglev. 


114 


Stony Creek 


8 


Bell Stanford 


112 


Fall Creek . 


8 


Commissioners 


87 


Jetrerson 


8 


Courts, the First . . 


35 


Blue River 


9 


Commissioners . 


35 


Fall Creek Township 


■!6 


Circuit 


38 


Franklin Township . 


'28 


County Buildings 


48 


Fairfield 


66 


First Court House 


48 


Good Templars 


122 


Second Court House 


50 


Greensboro Township 


29 


First Jail 


52 


Greensboro 


73 


Second Jail 


53 


Grant Citv 


83 


Stray Pen 


54 


Harrison Township 


30 


County Asvlum 


55 


Henry County Times 


119 


Crk's and Recorder's office 


57 


Henry County Independent. . . 


U9 


Auditors and Treasurers . 


58 


Henry County Republican 


120 


Present Court House 


58 


Henry Township 

Henry County Villages 


21 


Present Jail 


61 


62 


Clerks of ( :ircuit Court 


88 


Hillsboro 


74 


Cadiz.. 


77 


Hannah Mari.a Parker 


114 


Chicago 


78 


Henrv County Officers 


84 


Circlevillc 


81 


Honey Creek 


81 


City Chronicle 


120 


Huldah Wickersham. 


110 


Commissioners 


87 


Introduction 


1 


Clerks of Circuit Court 


88 


Isaac Parker 


110 


Circuit Prosecutor s 


89 


Isaac Kinley 


111 


Clerks of Probate 


90 


Indiana Sun 


116 


Common Pleas Judges 


90 


Indiana Courier 


117 


Collectors 


91 


Indians 


134 


Coi'oaers 


92 


Items 


144 


County Revenues 


94 


Jeflerson Township 


33 


Congressional Districts 


99 


Jennie G. Kinley 


115 


Churches 


103 


John W. (Trubbs 


110 


Clarkson Davis 


112 


Jehu T. Elliott 


112 



148 



ERRATA. 



Josie V. Hickman 
Joshua H. Mellett 
James Browu 

John <1 Teas 

J. G. Bulk 

Joel Reed 

Knightstown 

Kaightstown Banner 

Ki:\ightstown Citizen 

I-and Sales and First aitries . 

Wayne Township . 

Henry 

Liberty 

Dudley 

Franklin 

Spiceland 

Greensboro . 

Fall Creek . 

Jefferson 

Blue River 

Harrison 
Iiioerty township 

Lewisville 

Literature 

liuray 

Lee Roy Woods 
Middletown 

Masons 

Mt. Summit 
Misses Edwards 
M. Mahin 

Millville 

Mechaniesburji- 

M. L. Bundy 

New Castle 

New Lisbon 

Newspapers 

New Castle Banner 

New (Castle Examiner 
Nancy Kinley 

Nathan Newby 

Organization of the Coiinty 

Ogdeii *. 

Other Items 

Odd Fellows 

PoVitical !>evelopment . . . 



112 1 
112 

112 
114 
114 
114 I 
66 I 
120 ! 
190 ! 

1) 

9 ■ 

in 

10 

11 
n 
11 
11 

11 

\1 i 



1-2 
108 
76 
118 
70 
121 
80 
115 
114 
SO 
81 
110 
63 
75 
116 
118 
120 
111 
113 
13 
71 
99 
122 
125 



Prairie Township rj; 

Petersburgh . T8 

Presiding Judges 89 

Per Cent, of Taxes 'M 

Public Schools lOl 

Raysville 69 

Rogersville 77 

Representatives 86 

Recorders 91 

Russell B. Abbott 110 

Stonv Creek Township 25 

Spiceland ToAvnship 31 

N. s. Heiiuett 115 

Sliarington 76 

Siuceland . 78 

Sulphur Springs 79 

Straughn's Station 82 

S|iriii'jrport 83 

Signs of the Times 120 

^enaiors 85 

Sheriffs 87 

Survevors 92 

Statisiical and Financial 93 

School Statistics 102 

Stock ami tirain 104 

Sarah Kdgerton HI 

Township Organization .. 15 

The Pioneer 145 

Treasurers 88 

Turnpikes 105 

The Contrast 104 

Tliomas R. Sta7ilord 112 

ITniontown 66 

vote for Governor 100 

\ Rep; in Congres- 101 

President 101 

Wavne Township 18 

West Liberty 62 

Wheeland ' 76 

Woo(iville 77 

Wealth and Tax per Capita 97 

William Haughton 115 

Walter Cd-crton 109 

William Kdgerton HI 

Western Ruralist 121 

Wild Animals 138 



ERRATA. 



Pivg€65, 17tli line, read "M. L. Bundy" for "M. L. P«)Wf.ll.*" 

Page 73. 14th line from top, for ''John" read "-Jehu" VVickershaut. 

Page 86, in a portion of the edition an error occurs in the name of the. 

Representative for 1843. It should read "Rob't. I. Hudelson." 

Page 104, 14th line should read "for verifying tlu^ result by a re-count." 
Page I'M. last line on second paragraph, for "Perry" read "Noah" 

Wagoner. 

A number of typographical and other errors have been observed of 

too trivial a character to make their correction seem desirable in thiK 
rv pl*u>e. 



HU7 74 



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^S^'MM: 



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yf -y Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
*P, Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide 

Treatment Date: .,,,,- ."jQ 

'KftEEPER 

PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES. LP. 

Ill Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



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